Top-four contenders Renegades, Heat suffer massive defeats

Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades

Out of the reckoning for a spot in the knockouts, Hobart Hurricanes came up with a clinical performance in their penultimate game to defeat table-toppers Melbourne Renegades by a massive 52-run margin in Mackay. Half-centuries from Ruth Johnston and Mignon du Preez powered the Hurricanes to 161/5. In reply, the Renegades were bowled out for 109, with Sasha Moloney bagging three wickets while Johnston continued to have a good game, picking up 2-17, and Tayla Vlaeminck too bagged a couple of wickets.

Asked to bat first, the Hurricanes lost Rachel Priest in the first over as she was dismissed by Sophie Molineux for a duck. The Hurricanes, though, received a superb platform through Johnston and du Preez's 120-run stand that lasted till the 15th over. The two batters scored 12 fours and 2 sixes between them before falling in quick succession. Naomi Stalenberg's 12-ball 21 provided good finish to the innings. The Renegades batters struggled to get off the blocks in the chase, and also lost wickets at regular intervals. Jemimah Rodrigues' 19 off 21 was the highest score among the top eight while Ellie Falconer's 24 not out off 12 batting at No. 9 did little to change the tone of the one-sided battle as the Renegades were bowled out in the 18th over.