Sarah Taylor produced two sparkling performances with the bat in the Women’s Big Bash League this week but could not inspire Adelaide Strikers to victory.
The England international carried her bat for an unbeaten 78 off just 55 balls, her highest score of the competition, as the Strikers came up 19 runs short in a chase of 159 against Melbourne Stars.
And another fine knock from the wicketkeeper-batter the following day, this time 47 off 46 deliveries, also came in a losing cause with Sydney Sixers pulling off a 23-run win.
Taylor fell cheaply in the Strikers’ other two matches this week, another loss to the Sixers and a 50-run win over the Stars, results which leave them second bottom in the table.
Taylor, set to win her 100th England one-day international cap on next month’s tour of South Africa, is now the fifth highest run-scorer in the competition with 334, one place below Charlotte Edwards.
Like England skipper Edwards last week, Danielle Wyatt’s progress in the competition was halted by injury.
After hitting 26 off 21 balls in Melbourne Renegades’ defeat to the Sixers, she was struck on the arm at the non-striker’s end in a match against table-topping Sydney Thunder.
Wyatt went to hospital with a suspected broken arm but fortunately scans revealed just bruising and, having missed the Renegades’ eight-wicket defeat to the Sixers, is set to return to action next week.
Perth Scorchers, including Edwards and Katherine Brunt, Brisbane Heat, who have Kate Cross and Lauren Winfield in their ranks, and Heather Knight’s Hobart Hurricanes were all inactive this week.
Source: ECB