WPL weekly star-tracker (Nov 11): Amelia returns from injury with a bang to light up WBBL
It’s the post-retention, post-release edition. The Senior Women’s T20 Trophy is at its business end. The Women’s Big Bash League is picking up. But in what is probably the best news of it all, AAPLI MELIE MUMBAI-KERR IS BACK! Quick, get reading..
Yep, Amelia returns in style
It was as if she was never away! Making her debut for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL after injury forced her to miss a part of the series against India, Amelia Kerr, wasted no time in getting back to doing it all! 47*(41) with the bat and then 2/36 with the ball in a pretty convincing win over the Melbourne Stars.
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Yastika Bhatia on the wrong side of results
After a dream start with the bat to the tournament, she had a couple of tough games in terms of results over this week. Playing for the Stars against the Renegades, she did a good job anchoring the innings in a chase of 147, but couldn’t quite take the game deep, falling for 22. Against the Sixers as well, she got a start – a 20 – but sadly, the conversion didn’t come.
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Chloe’s all-round show in vain
In a brave show with both bat and ball, Chloe Tryon, playing for the Hobart Hurricanes, snapped up a couple of wickets in a tight spell of 4-0-20-2 against the Sixers, and then fought with the bat with a 15-ball 20 when there wasn’t a lot of support at the other end. Alas, the result wasn’t in her favour!
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Shabnim Ismail at her economical best
Her experience shone through, conceding just 20 runs in her four over spell in her side, Sydney Thunder’s win over the Sydney Sixers, and followed it up with an equally impressive show – 1/22 – against Brisbane Heat, closing out their innings with the final wicket to seal another win, and extend the Thunder’s stay at the top of the table.
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Hayley’s spin show at Perth
The Renegades may’ve been on the wrong side of a low-scoring thriller at Perth, but Hayley Matthews did a fine job to set it up in their favour, with a superb spell of 2/15 in her four overs. With the bat as well, she tried to hang around as the rest of her side fell apart in the powerplay, but sadly, Alana King was a little too good on the day. In the Melbourne derby against the Stars, she got the wicket of the dangerous Marizanne Kapp, and in the process, derailed their chase.
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Saika carries Bengal to the Final!
Cometh the knockouts, cometh the big guns. And nobody bigger than Saika Ishaque for Bengal, leading from the front as they romped through the quarters and the semis to book a place in the final against Mumbai. Restricting MP to just 116 in the first innings in the quarter-final, she led the way, opening the bowling and sneaking in a spell of 0/27 in her four overs. Against HP in the semi-final, she went a step further, taking a couple of wickets in the middle-overs and ensuring they were bowled out of the chase.