Brisbane Heat 134 for 6 (Knott 44*) beat Adelaide Strikers 133 for 5 (McGrath 51*) by four wickets
Brisbane Heat earned a modicum of revenge for their defeat in last season’s WBBL final by toppling defending champions Adelaide Strikers by four wickets in the opening game of the season. Having restricted Strikers to 133 for 5, Charli Knott controlled the chase with a crisp 44 off 30 balls although there was a late wobble when Megan Schutt claimed two wickets in three balls.
Grace Harris had laid a base for the chase before falling to superb caught and bowled by Jemma Barsby. When Lauren Winfield-Hill was bowled by Orla Prendergast, giving the Ireland allrounder her first wicket on debut, Strikers were back in the game but by the time Anesu Mushangwe struck with her first delivery – having been held back until the 16th over – the game was all-but done despite Schutt’s intervention.
Strikers had struggled for momentum with the bat: after the powerplay they were 39 for 1 (despite the fourth over, bowled by Sianna Ginger, costing 20) and at the halfway mark 59 for 2. Laura Wolvaardt had been given a life on 0 when Grace Harris spilled a chance at mid-on but couldn’t take advantage as she drove Shikha Pandey to mid-off where Jess Jonassen held on with a juggle.
Katie Mack and Tahlia McGrath lifted the tempo with a third-wicket stand of 53 off 41 balls but the middle order couldn’t kick on with overs 14 to 17 bringing just 14 runs. McGrath, who has struggled in T20s this year, brought up a 40-ball half-century. Pandey and Jonassen were outstanding with the ball as their combined eight overs brought 3 for 30 with 25 dot balls.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo