Voll takes four wickets as Thunder beat Renegades in WBBL opener

Sydney Thunder opened the Women's Big Bash League with a six-wicket victory over Melbourne Renegades at Junction Oval on Thursday, 29 October. Georgia Voll took four wickets before Anika Learoyd led the chase with 48. According to BBC Sport's match scorecard, Thunder reached 140-4 in 17 overs after restricting the Renegades to 138-9 from their full allocation.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvWBG4enfQ4

Thunder chose to field, but Hayley Matthews and Courtney Webb gave the Renegades an opening stand of 56 before Hannah Darlington removed Webb for 22. Matthews went on to make 45 from 30 balls, hitting six fours and a six. Darlington also claimed her wicket, leaving the Renegades 76-2 in the 11th over and removing both opening batters.

Voll finished with 4-26 from four overs, dismissing Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Chloe Tryon and Deandra Dottin. Three of those wickets came in the 17th over, when Tryon fell for 10, Dottin departed without scoring and Wareham was dismissed for 23. Nicole Faltum's run-out and Milly Illingworth's dismissal then left the Renegades 119-9, before unbeaten contributions from Annie Wikman and Tayla Vlaeminck took them to 138.

Darlington returned 2-29, while Sam Bates conceded just 20 runs from her four overs and took one wicket. Nadine de Klerk also claimed a wicket. The Renegades' final total set Thunder a target of 139, with Matthews the innings' leading scorer and Wareham and Webb the only other batters to reach 20.

Voll followed her bowling contribution with 25 from 18 balls, including four fours and a six, before falling to Tess Flintoff. Captain Phoebe Litchfield made 14 before Deandra Dottin dismissed her with Thunder on 64-2. Learoyd and Heather Knight then added 62 for the third wicket, taking the chase to 126 before Learoyd was bowled by Vlaeminck. Her 37-ball innings contained nine fours.

Vlaeminck also removed Laura Harris for a duck in the same over and finished with 2-23. Thunder nevertheless completed the chase with 18 balls remaining. Knight was unbeaten on 29 from 22 deliveries, while de Klerk supplied 12 not out from six balls, all of her runs coming in boundaries.