Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian to get a century in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) on Wednesday with a record-tying 114 not out, but her admirable effort was in vain as her team Sydney Thunders fell to Melbourne Renegades in a match played in Mackay. (Also in Cricket)
Ironically, Melbourne Renegades won the match by four runs to eliminate Sydney Thunder from contention for the championship, as Mandhana was unable to hit a winning six off India T20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the final ball.
With 14 fours and three sixes off of 64 balls faced, Mandhana equaled Australian batter Ashleigh Gardner’s record-setting individual score in WBBL history.
The left-hander brought the Thunder within one six runs of defeating the Renegades, but she was unable to score the necessary number of runs off Harmanpreet’s final delivery, and her side ultimately finished on 171/2.
Sammy-Jo Johnson (12) and Phoebe Litchfield (1) were both ejected during the powerplay, giving the defending champions a less than ideal start and the necessity for an unexpected victory to maintain their tenuous finals aspirations.
Mandhana scored her third fifty of the season from 33 balls after finding a reliable partner in Tahlia Wilson (38 not out from 39 balls). But with 63 runs required from the final five overs, the asking rate was increasing.
In the 18th over, Mandhana switched gears and scored 24 runs against Holly Ferling. Then, in 57 balls, she reached her century, but there was still work to be done because 22 runs were required from the next two overs.
Mandhana was forced to take on the off-spin of her country’s captain Harmanpreet after Renegades captain Sophie Molineux allowed just nine runs from the 19th over.
Mandhana, who benefited from two fielding mistakes, ultimately was unable to hit the crucial last-ball six needed to seal what would have been a storied triumph.
When the Renegades were allowed to bat first, Harmanpreet top-scored for them with a 55-ball 81 not out that included 11 fours and two sixes.
She and English batter Eve Jones shared a third-wicket stand of 91 runs (42 off 33 balls). Jemimah Rodrigues, another Indian opener, was dismissed for 2 in the first over. With the victory, the Renegades recaptured first place and are now in a position to advance directly to the championship game.
Also Read : Harmanpreet Kaur is a member of the WBBL tournament team.
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