The WBBL07 Roller Coaster continues

 After 20 games of WBBL07 just two points separate seven of the eight teams in the current league table.

On Tuesday Sydney Thunder, alst year's winners, kept Melbourne Stars to just 108/7, but then could only stagger to 96/5 in reply. At the end of the powerplay Thunder's response was in tatters at 13/4, with Kim Garth having bowled three maidens and taken three wickets. They never looked like getting back into the game, despite 44* from Deepti Sharma.
On Wednesday they had another shot at getting their first win on the board, but Melbourne Renegades clocked up 142/5, with Jemimah Rodrigues starring with an uneaten 75. It was a tough ask, but Thunder looked on course with Smriti Mandhana going well, but when she fell for 64 Thunder lost all self-belief and finished 9 runs short.
It means they prop up the table with just one point from five games. They have nine to come, but their season is looking done and dusted already. As for Renegades they are a surprising joint top, with Heat, on 7 points. 

Stars, having beaten Thunder, had the chance to move up to 7 points from six games when they took on Hurricanes on Wednesday, but having been dug out of trouble again by Maia Bouchier (42) and Kim Garth (44*) (who are both having great tournaments) to post 144/4, they ran into an inspired Mignon du Preez, who hit three crisp 6s, in her 62 off 45 balls. By the time she fell it was too late for Stars who were beaten with 4 balls to spare, by six wickets.

It was a welcome win for Canes, who had lost the previous day to a rampant Heat outfit. They chased down Canes 132/8 with consummate ease led by Grace Harris's 57* and a fine 49* from Mikayla Hinkley. Of all the teams Heat look the most convincing at the moment, with Scorchers, who didn't have a mid-week match, a close second. Here is how the table looks ahead on another packed weekend 
of games.

Martin Davies
27/X/21