Sydney Thunder (WBBL)
LeagueWomen's Big Bash League
Personnel
CaptainHeather Knight
CoachLisa Keightley
Team information
CitySydney
Colours  Lime
Home groundBlacktown ISP Oval
Secondary home ground(s)Manuka Oval, North Sydney Oval
History
Twenty20 debut6 December 2015 (2015-12-06)
WBBL wins2 (2015–16, 2020–21)
Official websiteSydney Thunder
Current season

The Sydney Thunder (WBBL) are an Australian women's Twenty20 cricket team based in Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales.[lower-alpha 1] They are one of two teams from Sydney to compete in the Women's Big Bash League, the other being the Sydney Sixers. The Thunder have claimed two WBBL titles, winning the league's inaugural championship and the 2020–21 title.[2]

History

Formation

One of eight founding WBBL teams, the Sydney Thunder are aligned with the men's team of the same name.[3] At the official WBBL launch on 10 July 2015, Rene Farrell was unveiled as the team's first-ever player signing.[4] Joanne Broadbent was appointed as inaugural coach, while Alex Blackwell became the inaugural captain.[5][6]

The Thunder played their first game on 6 December against the Sydney Sixers at Howell Oval in Penrith, winning by nine wickets with 40 balls remaining.[7]

Rivalries

Brisbane Heat

The Thunder have combined with the Brisbane Heat to produce several "thrillers",[8][9][10] including:

  • 12 January 2019, Cazaly's Stadium: Responding to the Thunder's first innings total of 7/171, Heat opener Beth Mooney recorded her maiden WBBL century but was then dismissed in the 17th over. With the Heat still requiring 19 runs off the last twelve balls, Harmanpreet Kaur—having already claimed two wickets, including the stumping of Mooney, for just ten runs—came on to bowl her third over. The Heat, primarily through Delissa Kimmince, scored 13 runs off the over to swing the momentum once more. Laura Harris then hit the winning runs against the bowling of Nicola Carey with three wickets in hand and three balls remaining, making it Brisbane's highest successful run chase. The result helped to set up a semi-final encounter between the two teams on the following weekend.[9][11][12]
  • 19 January 2019, Drummoyne Oval: In the WBBL|04 semi-finals, the lower-ranked Heat posted a first innings total of 7/140. After struggling through the middle overs of the run chase, a late charge by the Thunder brought them back into the contest to leave a required five runs off the final delivery for victory. The last ball, sent down by spinner Jess Jonassen, was struck flat and cleanly to deep square leg by batter Nicola Carey. Jonassen immediately signalled disappointment as the ball set sail for beyond the boundary rope, therefore scoring six runs and clinching the match for the Thunder. However, Heat fielder Haidee Birkett made enough ground in time to take a "miracle"[13] catch just inside the field of play to knock the Thunder out of the tournament.[14] The match, in conjunction with the other semi-final played later in the day, was hailed as a showcase of "the irrefutable rise of women's cricket"[15] and "sport with drama, skill and unpredictability – a potent recipe for success".[16]
  • 20 October 2019, North Sydney Oval: Thunder batters Alex Blackwell and Phoebe Litchfield set a new WBBL record for highest fourth-wicket partnership in their pursuit of the Heat's 9/150. The unbeaten 97-run stand, which got the Thunder over the line with seven balls to spare, was noted for the 20-year age gap between the two batting partners.[17] At 16 years and 185 days, Litchfield also set a new WBBL record as the youngest player to score a half-century.[18]

Perth Scorchers

The Thunder and the Perth Scorchers have met in two semi-finals:

  • 21 January 2016, Adelaide Oval: Defending a total of 6/118, the Thunder restricted the Scorchers to 9/110 and claimed victory by eight runs.[19][20]
  • 1 February 2018, Perth Stadium: In the first innings, the Scorchers posted a total of 2/148. The Thunder were reeling by the 11th over of the run chase, having lost five wickets for just 46 runs. Fran Wilson piled on 46 runs from 28 balls late in the match but Perth, led by Emma King's 3/17, easily defended the target to win by 27 runs.[21]

Due to a scheduling quirk, the two teams did not meet in the Thunder's home state of New South Wales until the 2020–21 Women's Big Bash League season (when the season was played entirely in Sydney due to uncertainty surrounding state border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic). From 2017 to 2018, five of their regular season encounters were played at Lilac Hill Park and characterised by close finishes, including:

  • 7 January 2018: The Scorchers were well poised to chase down their target of 146 until a catch on the boundary by Thunder fielder Lisa Griffith dismissed Nicole Bolton for 71 in the 18th over. On the last ball of the match, Scorchers batter Mathilda Carmichael was run out by a metre while attempting a game-tying run, therefore securing victory for the Thunder by the narrowest of margins.[22][23]
  • 29 December 2018: The Thunder were catapulted to a score of 5/179 by a late 49-run partnership between Harmanpreet Kaur and Stafanie Taylor (which included 21 runs off the 18th over against the bowling of Taneale Peschel, who had taken 1/12 in her first three overs). Eight overs into the second innings, captain Meg Lanning had scored 71 of the Scorchers' 83 runs. Although Lanning was run out for 76 in the tenth over, Elyse Villani went on to score 66 not out, guiding the Scorchers to a six-wicket victory with one ball remaining. In doing so, the Scorchers set a new WBBL record for highest successful run chase.[24]

Sydney Sixers

At the WBBL|02 season launch, Thunder captain Alex Blackwell said the Sydney Sixers "desperately want to beat us and we desperately want to beat them. It's set up to be a really good rivalry."[25] In a joint media conference ahead of WBBL|05, Sixers captain Ellyse Perry said she considers the Thunder "our biggest rivals" while the Thunder's Rachel Priest claimed "it was a really intense rivalry right when I started with the team".[26] Noteworthy matches include:

  • 24 January 2016, Melbourne Cricket Ground: Having lost their first six games of the season, the Sixers stormed into the WBBL|01 final by winning nine consecutive matches.[27] Their streak would come to an end in a low-scoring championship decider plagued by "probably the worst fielding seen all tournament"[28] from both teams. Ultimately the Thunder scraped home by three wickets with three balls remaining to claim the inaugural Women's Big Bash title. Erin Osborne earned Player of the Final honours for her bowling figures of 3/21 off four overs.[29]
  • 14 January 2017, Sydney Cricket Ground: Defending a first innings total of 138, Sixers off-spinner Lauren Smith conceded seven runs in the last over to tie the game. With scores still level after the subsequent super over, the Thunder were awarded the win on the boundary count back rule. Despite the intense rivalry between the two teams, the match was noted for a sporting gesture by Thunder captain Alex Blackwell who, suspecting she interfered with the batter, withdrew an appeal that would have led to the dismissal of the Sixers' Sara McGlashan.[30]
  • 15 November 2019, Drummoyne Oval: The Sixers cruised to a comfortable 40-run victory, having also defeated the Thunder by 49 runs in the season opener—Perry top-scoring with 81 on both occasions. This marked the first time either team would sweep their fellow Sydneysiders in the regular season.[31][32][33][34]

Captaincy records

There have been three captains in the Thunder's history, including matches featuring an acting captain.

Captain Span M Won Lost Tied NR W–L%
Alex Blackwell 2015–2019 60 36[lower-alpha 2] 23[lower-alpha 3] 0 1 61.02
Rachael Haynes 2019–2022 42 15 22[lower-alpha 3] 0 5 38.46
Hannah Darlington 2021 13 4 8 0 1 33.33

Source:[35]

Season summaries

Season W–L Pos. Finals Coach Captain Most Runs Most Wickets Most Valuable Player[lower-alpha 4] Refs
2015–16 9–5* 1st* C Joanne Broadbent Alex Blackwell Alex Blackwell – 410 Rene Farrell – 26* Stafanie Taylor [36][37][38]
2016–17 6–7 6th DNQ Joanne Broadbent Alex Blackwell Alex Blackwell – 386 Nicola Carey – 14 Harmanpreet Kaur [39][40][41]
2017–18 10–4 2nd SF Joanne Broadbent Alex Blackwell Rachael Haynes – 426 Carey, Farrell – 17 Rachael Haynes [42][43][44]
2018–19 9–4 2nd SF Joanne Broadbent Alex Blackwell Rachael Haynes – 376 Stafanie Taylor – 19 Rachel Priest [45][46][47]
2019–20 5–8 6th DNQ Trevor Griffin Rachael Haynes[lower-alpha 5] Alex Blackwell – 317 Hannah Darlington – 16 Hannah Darlington [48][49][50]
2020–21 7–5 3rd C Trevor Griffin Rachael Haynes Heather Knight – 446 Sammy-Jo Johnson – 22* Heather Knight [51][52][53]
2021–22 4–8 7th DNQ Trevor Griffin Rachael Haynes[lower-alpha 6] Smriti Mandhana – 377 Hannah Darlington – 16 Smriti Mandhana [54][55][56]
2022–23 1–10 8th DNQ Trevor Griffin Rachael Haynes Phoebe Litchfield – 280 Samantha Bates – 12 Phoebe Litchfield [57][58][59]
Legend
DNQDid not qualifySFSemi-finalists*Led the league
EFLost the EliminatorRURunners-up^League record
CFLost the ChallengerCChampions

Home grounds

Venue Games hosted by season
0102030405060708Total
Bankstown Oval–––11–N/A[lower-alpha 7]–2
Blacktown ISP Oval–4–112311
Drummoyne Oval–––122–5
Howell Oval121––––4
Hurstville Oval –––––2–2
Lavington Sports Ground–11––––2
Manuka Oval––111–14
North Dalton Park––––1––1
North Sydney Oval–12113210
Robertson Oval––2––––2
Sydney Showground Stadium11–3–6–11
University Oval No. 11––––––1

Players

Current squad

Australian representatives

Australia The following is a list of cricketers who have played for the Thunder after making their debut in the national women's team (the period they spent as both a Thunder squad member and an Australian-capped player is in brackets):

Overseas marquees

Associate rookies

Statistics and awards

Team stats

Opposition M Won Lost Tied NR W–L%
Adelaide Strikers 15 6 8[lower-alpha 8] 0 1 42.86
Brisbane Heat 18 8 10 0 0 44.44
Hobart Hurricanes 15 10 5 0 0 66.67
Melbourne Renegades 16 9 7 0 0 56.25
Melbourne Stars 17 9 4 0 4 69.23
Perth Scorchers 18 7 10 0 1 41.18
Sydney Sixers 16 6[lower-alpha 2] 9 0 1 40.00
Total 115 55[lower-alpha 2] 53[lower-alpha 8] 0 7 50.93
  • Highest score in an innings: 6/200 (20 overs) vs Melbourne Renegades, 9 December 2017
  • Highest successful chase: 4/156 (17.2 overs) vs Hobart Hurricanes, 21 December 2018
  • Lowest successful defence: 9/104 (20 overs) vs Melbourne Stars, 17 January 2016
  • Largest victory:
    • Batting first: 58 runs vs Adelaide Strikers, 31 October 2020
    • Batting second: 50 balls remaining vs Melbourne Renegades, 27 December 2016
  • Longest winning streak: 5 matches
  • Longest losing streak: 6 matches

Source:[63]

Individual stats

  • Most runs: Rachael Haynes – 2,142
  • Highest score in an innings: Smriti Mandhana – 114* (64) vs Melbourne Renegades, 17 November 2021
  • Highest partnership: Smriti Mandhana and Tahlia Wilson – 125* vs Melbourne Renegades, 17 November 2021
  • Most wickets: Samantha Bates – 95
  • Best bowling figures in an innings: Lauren Smith – 5/17 (4 overs) vs Perth Scorchers, 22 October 2022
  • Most catches (fielder): Phoebe Litchfield – 28
  • Most dismissals (wicket-keeper): Rachel Priest – 33 (12 catches, 21 stumpings)

Source:[63]

Individual awards

Sponsors

Year Kit Manufacturer Chest Sponsor Back Sponsor Breast Sponsor Sleeve Sponsor
2015–16 Majestic Athletic Rebel XVenture XVenture Rebel
2016–17 Homeworld Mazda
2017–18
2018–19 Mazda Amart Furniture Homeworld
2019–20 Ring.com
2020–21 Chamberlain Chamberlain
2021–22 Nike Chamberlain Homeworld What's Your Plan B?

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sydney Thunder Welcomes Cricket NSW To Sydney Olympic Park". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Lemon, Geoff (28 November 2020). "WBBL 2020 final: Sydney Thunder stun Melbourne Stars – as it happened". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Eight teams announced for Women's BBL". Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  4. ↑ "Major signings unveiled at WBBL launch". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Jo Broadbent to coach the Sydney Thunder in WBBL01". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "WBBL: All you need to know". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "Lanning, Barty star in WBBL's first week | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Heat triumph in semi-final thriller". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Thunder lose out in Cairns thriller". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Thrilling finishes headline action-packed WBBL Sunday". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Mooney peaks at perfect time". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "Mooney smashes ton as Heat beat Thunder". Brisbane Heat. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "'Unbelievable' Aussie cricket madness". NewsComAu. 19 January 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  14. ↑ "Nothing fake about Birkett's heroic catch". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  15. ↑ Maurice, Megan (20 January 2019). "Women's cricket the winner in WBBL semis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  16. ↑ Lawson, Geoff (26 January 2019). "Given a Fairbreak, the WBBL has shown its true value". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Recent Match Report - Brisbane Heat Women vs Sydney Thunder Women 6th Match 2019 | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "A star is born as teenager Litchfield schools the Heat". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Full Scorecard of Sydney Thunder Women vs Perth Scorchers Women 1st Semi-Final 2016 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "Rookies punch above their weight in Thunders' triumph | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "Recent Match Report - Perth Scorchers Women vs Sydney Thunder Women 1st Semi-Final 2018 | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Full Scorecard of Sydney Thunder Women vs Perth Scorchers Women 29th Match 2018 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "Scorchers stun Thunder at WACA". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "Scorchers Create History in Thrilling Win". Perth Scorchers. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  25. ↑ Houlbrook-Walk, Myles (9 December 2016). "Women's Big Bash League: Teammates become rivals ahead of WBBL". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  26. ↑ Weir, Ben (17 October 2019). "'An incredible opportunity': Perry primed for derby to start WBBL". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  27. ↑ "Match Preview - Sydney Sixers Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, Women's Big Bash League 2016, Final | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  28. ↑ "Thunder claim the first WBBL title". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  29. ↑ "WBBL final: Sydney Thunder Claim Big Bash Win Over Sydney Sixers". The Australian. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  30. ↑ "Spirit of cricket alive and well in WBBL". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  31. ↑ "Recent Match Report - Sydney Sixers Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, Women's Big Bash League, 1st Match | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  32. ↑ "Perry shines with bat and ball as Sixers cruise". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  33. ↑ "Perry on song as Sixers smash Thunder". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  34. ↑ Rugari, Vince (15 November 2019). "Perry shines as Sixers smash Thunder in WBBL derby fizzer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  35. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder Women Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  36. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2015/16 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  37. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2015/16 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  38. ↑ "State award winners announced". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  39. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2016/17 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  40. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2016/17 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  41. ↑ "Ed Cowan and Alyssa Healy Cricket NSW Medal winners". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  42. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2017/18 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  43. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2017/18 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  44. ↑ "Perry and Hughes win major Cricket NSW awards". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  45. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2018/19 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  46. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2018/19 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  47. ↑ "Abbott and Perry win major Cricket NSW awards". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  48. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2019/20 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  49. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2019/20 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  50. ↑ "Darlington wins Alex Blackwell Medal". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  51. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  52. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  53. ↑ "Haynes and Abbott win top Cricket NSW gongs". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  54. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2021/22 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  55. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2021/22 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  56. ↑ "Tremain and Brown shine at Cricket NSW Awards". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  57. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2022/23 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  58. ↑ "Women's Big Bash League, 2022/23 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  59. ↑ "Hughes and Gardner win major CNSW Awards". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  60. ↑ "Players Selected for WBBL Associate Rookie Program". International Cricket Council website. International Cricket Council. 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  61. ↑ "Associate Rookies named for Rebel WBBL 02". International Cricket Council website. International Cricket Council. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  62. ↑ Cricket Network (29 November 2017). "ICC rookies bound for the WBBL". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  63. 1 2 "Women's Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder Women Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 May 2020.

Notes

  1. ↑ Administrative and training base[1]
  2. 1 2 3 Includes one win via Super Over
  3. 1 2 Includes one loss via Super Over
  4. ↑ The player adjudged MVP for the Thunder each season is awarded the Alex Blackwell Medal
  5. ↑ Alex Blackwell stood in as acting captain for one game.
  6. ↑ Hannah Darlington was appointed as the stand-in captain in Haynes' absence.
  7. ↑ No WBBL|07 matches were scheduled to be played in New South Wales and the ACT due to border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  8. 1 2 Includes two losses via Super Over
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