Talking Points From WBBL Game Four

Below are several talking points from the Club’s second victory of Weber WBBL|11 where Perth Scorchers took the victory by nine runs, DLS method.

Right side of the equation
With unfavourable weather on the radar, the Scorchers played their hand perfectly to be ahead of the rate when play was abandoned. They held the cards after dismissing the Strikers for 112 inside 18 overs, and played sensibly thereafter, cruising to 2-55 before heavy rain settled in after 9.1 overs. The Scorchers finished their Melbourne leg placed fourth in the standings with an encouraging win-loss record of 2-2, bouncing back strongly from a rain-affected defeat to Melbourne Stars on Friday. The Club wraps up its four-state, four-game travel stint against Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval on Wednesday.

Long, strange road to dream debut
Hailing from Tannum Sands, six-and-a-half hours north of Brisbane, pace-bowling allrounder Ruby Strange could hardly have travelled further for an opportunity to play in the WBBL. In fact, it would take roughly 47 hours to complete the 4,700-kilometre road trip between Strange’s hometown and Perth. Today the 22-year-old – who turns 23 next week – finally received her chance and grasped it with both hands, removing decorated international Tammy Beaumont within five deliveries. Strange returned later in the innings to have Darcy Brown stumped – the beneficiary of excellent glovework from Beth Mooney – and collected 2-16 in 2.4 overs of accurate seam bowling tailored perfectly to the conditions.

Simply Devine
Scorchers captain Sophie Devine produced one of the balls of the tournament to remove her counterpart, Strikers skipper Tahlia McGrath, for a duck. Devine’s in-swinger pitched on middle stump before seaming past the outside edge of the dangerous allrounder, who was lured into playing towards the legside. It was the highlight of a brilliant opening spell that also saw Devine remove destructive top-order players Laura Wolvaardt and Maddy Penna to finish with 3-12 from three overs. 

Mack takes down old teammates
The Scorchers-Strikers match-up took on extra significance the moment Katie Mack swapped blue for scorched orange ahead of WBBL|11. Mack, who played 87 games in six seasons for the Strikers, judged two sky-ball catches to perfection in windy conditions, then crafted a composed and unbeaten 24 at the top of the order to complete the win. It was the sort of patient and calculated performance Mack has built her career upon, earning a reputation as one of the competition’s most dependable players. 

Dandjoo Derbarl Bilya catches the eye
The Scorchers wore their new Aboriginal playing kit for the first time since it was presented to the Club’s WBBL and KFC BBL players during a smoking ceremony at the WACA Ground this month. Designed by Noongar artist Joshua James in collaboration with Scorchers batter and Kunja woman Mikayla Hinkley, Scorchers allrounder Aaron Hardie, and WA Cricket staff, the artwork is entitled Dandjoo Derbarl Bilya, which translates to ‘coming together along the Swan River’.