A terrific act of sportsmanship and then a sudden downpour have helped the Hurricanes extend their winning start to the WBBL season with a rain-affected victory over the Renegades at North Sydney Oval.
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Lightning in the area delayed Hobart’s run chase as the target went from 156 down to 139 off 17 overs, with the Hurricanes reaching 4/94 when players were forced off after 11.2 overs.
Renegades players didn’t want to leave the field which led to a standoff with the officials before ground staff rushed on as the rain started to fall.
But as soon as it started, the rain cleared which left them needing 12 off 10 which skipper Elyse Villani gobbled up with a four and then a six to get them home with ease.
“There was a lot going on there and it got a little bit heated at one stage,” Villani said after the game.
“We were taking our direction from the umpires, and the umpires asked us to leave so we were walking off. Then we were holding for a minute and then it got heavier again.
“I think the Renegades wanted to go in a different direction, but you’ve got to respect the decisions that are being made.”
The Hurricanes are now four points clear at the top, but the result could have been much simpler had wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee not fumbled a run out opportunity.
Lee looked to have run Georgia Wareham out when she was on six, but she was quick to alert the umpire to review it because she knew she didn’t have control of the ball when she dislodged the bails.
The honesty came back to bite her side with Wareham scoring a team-high 41, with Lee smacking a six off her first ball before she was sent packing for 15.
But Villani got them home in the end, with Heather Graham player of the match with three wickets.
“It’s great because she knew straight away that she didn’t have the ball, and we all saw it as well so I don’t think she had much to get away with,” the captain said.
Renegades v Hurricanes: Match Highlights | 13:45
SUPER SURGE
The power surge has caused some carnage over the years with teams crumbling as they’ve tried to up the ante.
But it worked a treat for the Renegades who woke from their slumber with 39 runs off two overs.
Alice Capsey hit three boundaries in the eleventh over before she was dismissed, with Wareham then whacking Hayley Silver-Holmes for four boundaries to start the next over and then hit a towering six before she was dismissed.
It was a great comeback by Melbourne who lost three early wickets, with Wareham (2-17) almost bowling them to victory with the huge wickets of Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nicola Carey.
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