WBBL round-up: Knight, Haynes keep Thunder rolling and all-round Perry the matchwinner

Heather Knight produced another fine display as the Thunder maintained their strong start to the competition. Knight made her second half-century of the tournament, adding 108 with captain Rachael Haynes who top-scored with 61, then claimed two wickets as the Scorchers lost their way against spin. The Thunder were on the back foot early as they slipped to 3 for 22 inside the Powerplay - which was interrupted briefly by a fire alarm at the ground - but the Knight-Haynes axis again showed its experience as they firstly rebuilt and then started to accelerate. Both players were given a life - Knight on 32 and Haynes on 14 - and from 3 for 52 after 10 overs the Thunder added 92 in the second half of the innings, which included 18 off Sophie Devine's second over and 15 off Taneale Peschel's last which dented her previously excellent figures. Left-arm spinner Sam Bates again impressed, removing Devine in the fourth over, but comparatively the Scorchers were solidly placed at 2 for 68 in the 11th over. However, Nicole Bolton found deep midwicket then Knight struck twice in three balls which left too much on Beth Mooney's shoulders and the game was done when she missed a slower-ball yorker from Sammy-Jo Johnson. Bates closed out her four overs with two wickets in two balls to take her tournament tally to seven.

Ellyse Perry put in a wonderful all-round performance, including her best WBBL bowling figures, as the Sixers made it a Sydney double at the top of the table. At the outset it appeared the Sixers would set a steep target as Alyssa Healy made a rapid start. When she was caught behind, Ash Gardner continued the hitting but she fell to Jess Jonassen, but scoring became harder work after the Powerplay and the innings was set back when Jonassen report Marizanne Kapp and Erin Burns in consecutive deliveries. Perry did not get out of second gear during her half-century and it was with the ball, as she bowled her four overs straight through, where she decided the game. The Heat paid the price for poor shot selection as the top three all swiped across the line. When Grace Harris glanced down the leg side, they were 4 for 17. Jonassen briefly threatened but she was smartly stumped and the innings fell away to for 9 for 80 before some late defiance from Nadine de Klerk who suggested she may be worth a spot higher up the order.