Jemimah Rodrigues impresses as Melbourne Renegades inflict more misery on winless Sydney Thunder

The India international finished unbeaten on 75 off 56 balls to help Renegades post 142 for 5 before Thunder fell 10 runs short of their first victory of the season

Launceston: Melbourne Renegades 142-5, Sydney Thunder 133-8 – Melbourne Renegades won by nine runs

Scorecard

Jemimah Rodrigues scored her first WBBL half-century as Melbourne Renegades defeated Sydney Thunder by nine wickets in Launceston. The defending champions are now without a win in five matches.

Batting first, Melbourne Renegades started brightly, with openers Josephine Dooley and Jemimah Rodrigues sharing an 84-run first-wicket stand before the former was removed by Samantha Bates (caught Linsey Smith) in the 12th over.

Wickets fell steadily throughout the remaining eight overs, with Jess Duffin, Harmanpreet Kaur, Courtney Webb and Carly Leeson all falling for low scores.

^{Smriti Mandhana scored a half-century for Sydney Thunder}

However, Thunder’s bowlers couldn’t shift Rodrigues, who finished unbeaten on 75 off 56 balls (nine fours) – the first 50-plus knock by a Renegade batter this season – to help her side post 142 for 5.

In reply, fellow India international Smriti Mandhana was the pick of Thunder’s batters, scoring 64 off 44 balls at the top of the order. The 25-year-old dragged her side to 99 for 3 in the 16th over before being bowled by Kaur – the first of three wickets to fall for just five runs.

Another India international, Deepti Sharma, threatened to spoil Renegades’ party, scoring 23 off 10 balls at no.8, but couldn’t keep hold of the strike. Needing 18 runs off the final over, Thunder managed just eight to fall 10 runs short of their first victory of 2021.

Ella Hayward was the pick of Renegades’ bowlers, taking 1 for 15 from her four overs, while Courtney Webb collected 3 for 21 off three.

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