WBBL04 - Round-Up heading into the Christmas Weekend

Four midweek games have seen Scorchers steal a win against the luckless Canes; Heat obliterate Stars; Thunder confirm their spot at the top of the ladder; and Stars come back, dust themselves off and beat Strikers, who can't buy a win at the moment.

It also saw a WBBL record 42 ball 100 for Grace Harris (Heat) as she dispatched Stars' bowlers to all parts of the Gabba, hitting six 6s and thirteen 4s. Chasing 133 to win Heat had levelled the scores, with Harris facing on 95. She needed a 6 to get to her 100, and her partner Beth Mooney made sure she stayed on strike even though the winning run could have been taken. Harris deposited the fifth ball of the eleventh over deep over long on to record the fastest 100 in WBBL history and the second fastest of all-time in women's cricket.

Here are the results
Hurricanes 173/7 v Scorchers 173/6 - Super Over - Scorchers 16/0 beat Canes 10/2
Stars 132/7 lost to Heat 138/0
Hurricanes 153/9 lost to Thunder 156/4

Strikers 144/7 lost to Stars 145/6

Current table (21/12/18)

Over the next three days another six games will be played.

Sixers take on Heat twice, first at the SCG and then Hurstville.
Scorchers play Renegades twice also, both at the WACA.
Strikers v Stars and Thunder v Hurricanes (on Monday) round off the long weekend.

Heat (and Grace Harris in particular) will be confident going into their back-to-back games with Sixers, even though Sixers have been in fine form. But T20 is a fickle format, so Heat cannot rely on Harris repeating her Stars' heroics. Sixers just look too powerful for the Queenslanders.
The Scorchers/Renegades match-ups will be very intriguing. News is that Meg Lanning is fit and ready to go, which will definitely help their cause. Scorchers have won 3/6, but their form has been erratic, to say the least. As for Renegades they have won just 1/4, against Strikers, losing to Thunder and Heat. On paper Scorchers should walk both games, but Gades might just pip them in one (or maybe even two) if their young bowlers come to the party.

The Strikers v Stars rematch is likely to be another tight affair. Strikers have to win if they are to salvage anything from this season. Meanwhile Stars will be beginning to believe they can make it to the finals. Who can handle that added pressure better?

Thunder just looked too strong for Canes in their Friday night game and it is difficult to see the result being any different second time around. With just one win from seven games Canes are almost dead and buried. Another loss might be the last nail in their WBBL04 coffin.

Martin Davies
22/XII/18