Adelaide Strikers won their second consecutive WBBL title when they registered a thrilling 3-run win over Brisbane Heat in the final on December 2 at the Adelaide Oval.
Heat needed 13 runs off 6 balls to stun the defending champions but Amanda-Jade Wellington bowled a superb last over to win the game and title for her franchise. She was named the Player of the Match for finishing with bowling figures of 4-0-16-3.
Defending 125, the Strikers’ bowlers made their performances count when it mattered the most. Megan Schutt got rid of Charli Knott and rival skipper Jess Jonassen.
Schutt gave away seven runs in the penultimate and ensured that Wellington had enough runs to defend. Darcie Brown also delivered a good spell with figures of 4-0-20-0.
Tahlia McGrath added the wickets of Mignon du Preez and Laura Harris. Grace Harris (15), Georgia Redmayne (22) and Amelia Kerr (30) made contributions with the bat but failed to stay at the crease.
Wolvaardt, McGrath scripted important partnership
Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt and McGrath accumulated 39 and 38 respectively to take the Strikers to a fighting total. The duo added 66 runs for the second wicket after Katie Mack, the leading run-scorer for the Strikers in WBBL 2023, was undone by Nicola Hancock.
Hancock was the start performer for the Heat after she ended her spell with figures of 4-0-23-3.
Barring Wolvaardt and McGrath, the rest of the Strikers’ batters couldn’t carry on.
However, the bowlers restricted the Heat to 122 for eight. The Strikers are the third team after Sydney Sixers and the Heat to defend their WBBL title.
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