Smriti Mandhana hits joint-highest WBBL score but Sydney Thunder fall short against Renegades

Mandhana scored 114 not out from 64 balls but it was her India teammate Harmanpreet Kaur who had the last laugh, scoring a big knock of her own and bowling tidily at the death as Melbourne Renegades hung on to win by four runs

Mackay: Melbourne Renegades 175-4, Sydney Thunder 171-2 – Melbourne Renegades won by four runs

Scorecard

Smriti Mandhana equalled the joint-highest individual score in WBBL history during Sydney Thunder's clash with Melbourne Renegades in Mackay. However, despite her heroic knock, Thunder fell five runs short of victory and are now out of contention for the playoffs.

The 25-year-old scored 114 not out from 64 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes, to match Ashleigh Gardner’s knock for Sydney Sixers against Melbourne Stars in December 2017. She is the second player to score a century in WBBL07, following Rachel Priest’s 107 not out against Melbourne Stars, and the first Indian player to pass three figures in the competition’s history.

Chasing 176 in 20 overs was always going to be a tough ask for Thunder and with 46 runs still required from the final 18 balls, the Renegades had the two points all but guaranteed. However, Mandhana dispatched the 18th over, bowled by Holly Ferling, for 24 runs to bring the equation down to 22 from 12.

^{Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates her side's victory}

A tidy over from Sophie Molineux followed before Mandhana’s international teammate, Harmanpreet Kaur, had the last laugh, conceding just eight runs off the last six balls – four of which were bowled at Mandhana – to leave Thunder agonisingly short of victory.

Mandhana’s partner, Tahlia Wilson, finished unbeaten on 38 (39 balls) while Kaur collected figures of 1 for 27.

Earlier in the match, the Renegades had endured a nightmare start to their innings, losing Jemimah Rodrigues and Carly Leeson inside two overs to slip to 9 for 2.

Kaur shared a 91-run third-wicket stand off 68 balls with Eve Jones, before the English opener was removed for 42 (33) by Samantha Bates (caught Corinne Hall). The India international then added a further 74 runs off the final 6.4 overs with Jess Duffin to push the Renegades beyond 175 and finish the innings unbeaten on 81 from 55 balls – her third half-century of the tournament.

Melbourne Renegades are currently first in the table, two points clear of Perth Scorchers, and have won their past three completed matches.