WBBL | Hemalatha-Devine power duo and precision bowling dominate Sydney Thunder

‌Sitting at the top of the table, Sydney Thunder faced off against Perth Scorchers in Sydney for the 24th game. Scorchers skipper Sophie Devine won the toss and chose to bat first, but the decision backfired. Opener Beth Mooney was run out in the second over, and the troubles continued as Chloe Piparo fell to Chamari Athapaththu. With Devine and Dayalan Hemalatha at the crease, the visitors reached 74/2 by the ninth over. Hemalatha, in sublime form, struck a 26-ball fifty, helping stabilize the innings after the early setbacks. However, her impressive knock ended in the 10th over as Athapaththu struck again. Amy Jones joined Devine, and together they added 35 runs, taking the score to 114/4 in 15 overs. But Proteas star Shabnim Ismail broke the partnership by dismissing Jones. Devine continued to attack, reaching 36 off 28 by the 17th over. However, wickets tumbled in the death overs as Mikayla Hinkley, Devine, and Chloe Ainsworth all departed. Ultimately, a solid bowling comeback from Sydney Thunder restricted Perth Scorchers to 171/7 at the end of 20 overs.