Brisbane Heat defeated Adelaide Strikers by 4 wickets with 1 ball remaining in the WBBL 2023 and are now in fourth position with 12 points whereas Strikers are in third spot even after losing the match credit to their previous results.
A collaborative effort from Heat’s bowlers and batters led the opposition to lose the close encounter. A classy half-century from Mignon du Preez has aided the team to walk past Adelaide Strikers in a nervy low-scoring thrilling match.
Adelaide Strikers won the toss and chose to bat first in Mackay. The Strikers openers couldn’t do much, putting the team in early trouble. Brisbane would have been disappointed to chase as many as they did after they had Strikers in deep trouble with early breakthroughs at 31 for 3 after seven overs.
Brisbane Heat bowlers Amelia Kerr and Charli Knott had done all the damage to Strikers’ innings with the ball before Medaline Penna played a helpful knock getting Adelaide Strikers out of trouble with 57 not out from 46 balls. Danielle Gibson also contributed with an unbeaten 34 from 17 balls lifting the Adelaide Strikers to a competitive score of 137 for 5.
Chasing a low score of 138 to win following a decent bowling effort, Heat’s top three failed to perform but du Preez somehow controlled the Heat’s chase. She played blazingly down the ground to the spinners and hit 60 off 49 to help win the interesting close clash. But soon there was a brief jiggle when she got caught and bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington. Shortly Megan Schutt dismissed Jess Jonassen.
Du Preez got wonderful support from Charli Knott who scored 21 off 18 balls after Brisbane’s top order stumbled against the grasping Adelaide Strikers bowling duo of Megan Schutt and Anesu Mushangwe. But English Bess Heath was able to get the hosts home with a streaky edge that went up for a boundary with one ball to spare, after some tensed dot balls off Gibson in the last over.
The result split the Adelaide Strikers’ four-game winning streak leaving them one point behind the table toppers Sydney Thunder, levelling with Perth Scorchers and fourth-placed Brisbane Heat with NRR making the crucial difference.
With Heat’s anxious win over Adelaide Strikers, the top four have created a buffer over the fifth-ranked Sydney Sixers. Though Adelaide Strikers had a decent performance, the lack of consistency of their top order cost them the match against the Brisbane Heat.
WBBL 2023: Adelaide Strikers vs Brisbane Heat Brief Scores
Adelaide Strikers 137/4 (Medaline Penna – 57 (46), Charlie Knott – 2/15) lost to Brisbane Heat 139/6 (Mignon du Preez – 60 (49), Megan Schutt – 2/29) by 4 wickets.
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