WBBL round up: Heather Knight's onslaught powers Thunder to victory

A club record partnership of 122 between Heather Knight and Rachael Haynes formed the backbone of a convincing Sydney Thunder victory as they overpowered the Adelaide Strikers. The stand between Knight and Haynes was the Thunder's highest for any wicket in the WBBL and Knight's 83, which came off just 39 balls, was their highest individual score. There was a six-over period of their partnership from the 14th to the 19th over where they collected 91 runs and until the loss of a few late wickets looked like crossing 200. Their innings had actually got off to a sluggish start and they were 1 for 28 after the Powerplay, but Sammy-Jo Johnson then took 26 off the seventh over from Amanda-Jade Wellington which included four sixes. Johnson had 29 off nine deliveries before edging behind off Tahlia McGrath, but it gave Knight and Haynes time to play themselves in. The Strikers' chase never threatened to make an impression as the asking rate swelled. Lauren Smith, in her first bowl for her new club, claimed 3 for 26 and Knight capped off her day by taking a wicket first ball.

A disciplined bowling display from the Perth Scorchers suffocated the Melbourne Renegades at Drummoyne Oval. Early wickets from skipper Sophie Devine and Nicole Bolton put the Renegades on the back foot and they never recovered crawling to 5 for 105 from their 20 overs. Devine and Beth Mooney cruised to an unbeaten 62-run stand before rain ended proceedings after just 9.5 overs with the Scorchers 18 runs clear under the DLS method. Devine knocked over the dangerous Lizelle Lee in the second over and made 31 not out to claim Player of the Match honours. Bolton's four overs of offspin cost just 13 runs and she took the prized wicket of Sophie Molineux who made an uncharacteristically slow 29 from 41 balls. Molineux and Courtney Webb put together a 57-run partnership but chewed up 66 balls in doing so after the Renegades had slumped to 3 for 16. Webb top-scored with 33 from 44 balls but it wasn't enough for the Scorchers experienced opening pair. Devine and Mooney were scarcely troubled until the rain ended the Renegades' misery.

The Hobart Hurricanes were denied a good chance of victory when their chase against defending champions the Brisbane Heat was curtailed three balls short of the minimum five overs needed for a game. Strong hitting from South Africa Chloe Tryon, who had been promoted to open, when she took 16 off an over from Delissa Kimmince gave the Hurricanes impetus in their chase of a revived 106 in 11 overs after the Heat's innings had been stopped as their momentum was building. Georgia Redmayne fell to the second ball of the match, but Maddy Green 33 off 24 balls provided a good base which captain Jess Jonassen and Grace Harris were starting to build on when the rain came.

The final match of the triple-header at the Sydney Showgrounds, between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Stars was abandoned without a ball bowled as rain swept across the city. The Stars' first three matches of the tournament have all been no results. It meant there was no chance to see Australia captain Meg Lanning go up against team-mates Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy.