A potent batting display by Australian allrounder Georgia Wareham has propelled the Melbourne Renegades to their second Women’s Big Bash League victory in four days.
The Renegades beat the Adelaide Strikers by 36 runs at the Junction Oval on Saturday after Wareham hammered an unbeaten 73 from just 31 balls, her highest score in the WBBL.
The Renegades charged to 3-188 before the Strikers finished on 8-152. It was the Renegades' third-highest score in their history and their best in five years.
Wareham shared an unbroken 109-run stand with Courtney Webb off just 58 balls, equalling the record for the highest Renegades partnership, which also featured Wareham. That took place in Perth earlier this season with Nicole Faltum, when Wareham scored 62 from 39 balls, although the Renegades lost that match to the Scorchers.
On Saturday Wareham and Webb had an excellent power surge with 23 runs, and later in the innings Wareham hit three successive sixes from fellow legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington in an over that cost 24 runs.
The Strikers made a good start to their difficult chase with an opening partnership of 67 in 8.3 overs, before Emma de Broughe (27 off 24 balls) was run out in a mix-up with Maia Bouchier, prompting a steady fall of wickets.
The loss of Bouchier, who scored 54 from 38 balls, left the Strikes 3-94 from 12.1 overs as the wickets continued to tumble.
Injury-plagued Australian fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck removed any doubt about a Renegades victory with a double-wicket maiden in the 17th over, the second of the Strikers’ power surge.
Wareham was player of the match, also claiming a wicket, and said their victory was set up by opening batter Hayley Matthews, who scored 49 in 32 balls.
Wareham singled out Vlaeminck for special praise after the fast bowler missed a year and a half of cricket following a dislocated shoulder in the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup.
“It's awesome to see Tayla out there charging in, trying to bowl as fast as she can every ball, which is pretty cool to have in your side,” Wareham said.
“She's out there scaring batters and running in and bowling as quick as she can, which is exactly what we want as a team. To have such control is massive, and after a massive break out of the game is even more special.”
