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Heather Knight and Samantha Bates Lead Sydney Thunder to a 19-Run Victory Over Brisbane Heat
Sydney Thunder Women’s spectacular performance in the WBBL continues as they sealed a 19-run victory over Brisbane Heat in Perth. Heather Knight’s brilliant unbeaten 59 off 34 balls and Samantha Bates’ four-wicket haul helped Thunder maintain their position at the top of the points table. This victory marks Thunder’s third win in four outings, while Heat now face a tough challenge after losing three out of five games.
Thunder’s Strong Start with Batting Fireworks
The Thunder’s innings was off to a strong start, thanks to their top-order batters. Chamari Athapaththu (33 off 25 balls) and Georgia Voll (22 off 22 balls) laid a solid foundation for the chase. This was followed by an explosive 57-run partnership between Phoebe Litchfield (40 off 25 balls) and Heather Knight (59* off 34 balls). The duo dominated the bowling attack, hitting 17 fours in total. The momentum shifted as Knight took charge in the final overs, blasting four boundaries in one over against Grace Parsons.
Thunder finished their 20 overs at 170/5, aided by an impressive death overs performance from Knight. For more details on the team’s preparation and strategy, read more about Sydney Thunder’s WBBL campaign.
Bates’ Stunning Spell Dismantles Heat’s Middle Order
With the ball, Thunder made early breakthroughs. Hannah Darlington and Taneale Peschel were the first to strike, leaving Brisbane Heat struggling at 35/2 by the fifth over. Brisbane Heat’s chase never truly gained momentum as Thunder’s bowlers kept piling on the pressure. Grace Harris (41) and Charlie Knott (55) tried to recover the situation with a partnership, but the real turning point came when Bates entered the attack.
Bates (4-25) was the standout performer, supported by Athapaththu (2-33). They tore through the middle and lower order, dismissing six batters for single-digit scores. Bates’ spin magic played a key role in sending Heat’s chase off track. In the final over, Shabnim Ismail dismissed Parsons to wrap up Heat’s innings at 151, leaving them 19 runs short of the target.
For a deeper dive into the key players of WBBL 2024, you can read more on the official WBBL statistics page.
Match Summary
Sydney Thunder Women 170/5 in 20 overs
Heather Knight 59, Phoebe Litchfield 40; Jess Jonassen 3-22
Brisbane Heat Women 151 in 19.1 overs
Charli Knott 55, Grace Harris 41; Samantha Bates 4-25, Taneale Peschel 2-23, Chamari Athapaththu 2-33
Sydney Thunder won by 19 runs
