Renegades sneak home against Scorchers after burnt toast stops play

The Melbourne Renegades held their nerve to scrape past the Perth Scorchers in an error-riddled chase at the Junction Oval that was briefly halted when the fire alarm was triggered by some burnt toast.

The Scorchers dropped four catches and missed two clear cut run out opportunities to all but hand the Renegades the game as Josie Dooley guided her side home, making 17 not out off 17 balls, with four wickets and five balls to spare.

Following Nat Sciver's half-century in an under par total of 5 for 132, the Scorchers gave Sophie Molineux and Danielle Wyatt three lives in the first two overs of the chase. Molineux was finally held for 24 before Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont took control with a 48-run stand.

They appeared on course for an easy victory having cruised to 1 for 85 in the 11th over. Beaumont was particularly impressive reaching 25 off 17, finding the boundary with some incredible scoops and lap sweeps.

However, the game swung on a superb return catch from Nicole Bolton to remove Beaumont. Bolton should have run out Claire Koski next ball, only to gather the ball at the bowler's end and inexplicably throw to the striker's with Koski miles out of her ground.

The Renegades kept the Scorchers in it though losing 4 for 29 but Dooley kept her head by finding the gaps without taking too many risks to reach the target with five balls to spare.

Earlier, the Scorchers struggled to take advantage in the powerplay due a terrific spell from Lea Tahuhu as the New Zealand quick removed Australia captain Meg Lanning in a wicket maiden.

The game was delayed by 15 minutes after a fire alarm went off inside the Junction Oval's administration facility. The building was evacuated without incident with some burnt toast to blame.

Sciver and Amy Jones did struggle for fluency on return. Jones was 8 off 15 when she was dropped by Molly Strano at midwicket off Tahuhu. She found the boundary twice in her next four balls to get her innings moving.

Sciver was also given a life on 24 when Maitlan Brown spilled a pretty straight forward chance at long-on off Georgia Wareham. Jones hammered two sixes off Wareham to take the partnership to 77 before holing out off Strano in the 12th over.

But the Scorchers only managed one boundary in the next 28 balls. The Renegades used their spinners well through that period. Sciver was 42 off 41 after 18 overs before she finally broke the shackles with a boundary in each of the last two overs to finish on 55 not out from 47, but the total was well under par in the end.