A club of three has become a club of four.
Just three Women’s Big Bash League franchises had won a title heading into Saturday night’s final – the Thunder, Sixers and Heat – but the Scorchers have joined the party.
The Perth outfit has downed the Adelaide Strikers by 12 runs to be crowned champions of the seventh edition of the WBBL in front of a record WBBL crowd of 15,511.
The record WBBL crowd was registered on the same night that the Matildas-USA match in Sydney drew 36,109 – the greatest-ever attendance at a women’s football game in Australia.
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Chasing 147 to win, the Strikers had to score 22 runs from the final over of the game, but right-arm Scorchers quick Taneale Peschel delivered for her captain to ensure a Perth victory, conceding nine runs at the death.
After being sent in to bat by Adelaide captain Dane van Niekerk, Perth established a solid platform through a 52-run partnership between openers Beth Mooney (35) and Sophie Devine (19).
Scorchers all-rounder Marizanne Kapp also shone in an unbeaten knock of 31 as Perth posted 5-146.
And although the Scorchers had the Strikers reeling at 2-12 in the sixth over, Adelaide’s Tahlia McGrath (36 from 29) and Laura Wolvaadt (25 from 28) combined for 65 runs to carry their side to 77 by the fall of the third wicket.
But, ultimately, the Scorchers’ bowling – led by Paschel with figures of 2-23 and player of the match Kapp with 1-25 – made a successful run chase too difficult.
“To be able to play a home final and get the turnout they did, I think this is super special for them,” said Sydney Sixers all-rounder Erin Burns on Fox.
https://twitter.com/ScorchersBBL/status/1464556051378831360https://twitter.com/ScorchersBBL/status/1464556967582527496https://twitter.com/WBBL/status/1464556752876171271https://twitter.com/AndyMaherDFA/status/1464561651278098438https://twitter.com/timmacs/status/1464561072908783616
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