The 51st match of the Women’s Big Bash League 2023 took place on Thursday, November 23, at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, where Hobart Hurricanes faced Melbourne Renegades. The Renegades won the toss and chose to bowl first. Lizelle Lee and Elyse Villani set a strong foundation for the Hurricanes, adding 55 runs for the first wicket. Despite losing two more wickets, Lee and Heather Graham formed a partnership of 102 runs for the fourth wicket. Lee’s notable performance led her to achieve a score of 101 runs off 53 deliveries, becoming only the second batter to score a century for the Hurricanes in WBBL history. The Hurricanes achieved their highest total in WBBL history, making 212 runs for the loss of three wickets in 20 overs.
In the chase, Renegades’ batters faced a tough time, losing the first five wickets for just 52 runs. Despite an effort from Emma de Broughe, who scored 40 runs off 19 deliveries, the Renegades got bowled out for 119 runs, resulting in a 93-run loss. Maisy Gibson was the standout bowler for the Hurricanes, taking four wickets for 25 runs in 3.2 overs.
In terms of individual performances, Lizelle Lee moved up to the sixth position on the list of highest run-scorers after scoring her third WBBL century. The top five spots remain unchanged, with Beth Mooney leading the list with more than 500 runs. However, there were slight shifts in the lower positions, with Harmanpreet Kaur dropping to ninth, and Elyse Villani moving up to tenth after scoring her first half-century of the season.
On the bowling front, Sophie Day continued to lead with 27 wickets, followed by Annabel Sutherland and Lauren Cheatle. Amy Edgar maintained her position with 20 wickets, while Megan Schutt and Hannah Darlington moved up to fifth and sixth place, respectively. Amanda Wellington and Ashleigh Gardner tied for seventh place, and Heather Graham and Jess Jonassen held the ninth and 10th positions, respectively.
