Lizelle Lee smashes WBBL records with 150 not out

Hobart Hurricanes 203 for 3 (Lee 150*) beat Perth Scorchers 131 (Ainsworth 41, Graham 3-24) by 72 runs

Lee’s innings, which included a 51-ball century, contributed an astonishing 73% of Hurricanes’ total and also included a world record 12 sixes. Both Lee’s score and sixes tally eclipsed the previous marks set by Grace Harris with her 136 not out last season. Overall, it was the fifth-highest score in all women’s T20s and the highest played in a Full Member nation.

Coming into the match, Lee had a high score of 38 in five WBBL innings this season. “It’s one of those days, I won’t say everything came off the middle because it didn’t, but things just went my way,” she said. “Coming through a little dip like that, having the support of the group and family was incredible.”

To further emphasise Lee’s dominance, a stand of 114 off 65 balls for the third wicket included just 14 off 19 balls from partner Elyse Villani. The innings was rounded out by an unbroken partnership of 73 off 39 balls alongside Heather Graham. It all came after Hurricanes had lost two wickets in consecutive deliveries against Chloe Ainsworth to leave them 16 for 2 in the third over.

Lee was given a life on 63 when spilled at backward point as Ainsworth returned to the attack. The figures of the Scorchers quick, who had got through two overs before Lee hit turbo charge, stood out amid the carnage with 2 for 17.

Lee opened her sixes count with back-to-back blows off Ebony Hoskin in the fourth over and broke the record by sending the same bowler for further consecutive sixes in the last. For Hoskin, who finished with 0 for 53 from four overs, it was a quick comedown after her final-over heroics against Melbourne Renegades.

Hurricanes’ 203 was their second-highest total in WBBL. Scorchers never threatened to get close after an awful start where they lost Sophie Devine first ball and also saw Chloe Piparo run out in the opening over.

Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo

Source: ESPN Crickinfo

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