Perth Scorchers 171 for 7 (Devine 48, Hemalatha) won Sydney Thunder 97 (Edgar 3-19) for 74 runs
Ainsworth claimed figures of 2 for 15 at Drummoyne Oval on Tuesday night, as Thunder were out for 97 in the 20th over chasing Scorchers’ 171 for 7. The closer set up the win for the Scorchers, taking 2-for-4 in her start. two overs.
The result ended the Thunder’s four-game winning streak and helped the heavyweight Scorchers rise from fifth to second place on the WBBL ladder.
“I don’t think I’d like to hit with Ainsworth shooting, but that’s the umpire’s decision,” Thunder coach Lisa Keightley said in fox cricket after. “And they gave it to the players, so it’s interesting.”
Already behind in the chase of Ainsworth’s wickets, Litchfield and Heather Knight offered the Thunder a brief hope with a 32-run third-wicket stand. But when Litchfield was surprised by Amy Edgar, the innings fell apart.
Devine pulled Sammy-Jo Johnson for a six, clipped it for four off the next ball and played a deft late cut to send Shabnim Ismail to the deep-third boundary. Ismail bowled it later in the same over, but with the help of Mikayla Hinkley a Scorchers victory was set up.
Devine has been one of the best hitters in the world for more than a decade, but Ainsworth showed on Tuesday night why she could soon enter the Australian calculations.
The 19-year-old caught last year’s WBBL MVP Chamari Athapaththu in the first over, before removing fellow opener Georgia Voll in her next over. She should have also caught Hannah Darlington in the deep late on, only for Lilly Mills to drop the opportunity.
Ainsworth’s wickets saw her add the duo to a list of high-profile victims this season, including Meg Lanning, Annabel Sutherland, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Alice Capsey. He has now taken nine wickets at 12.88 this season, after taking 15 at 19.66 in his rookie campaign last year.
