Women’s Big Bash League: Heather Knight stars in Sydney Thunder win

England captain Heather Knight made her highest Women’s Big Bash League score to help Sydney Thunder to a 58-run win over Adelaide Strikers.

That proved too much for Strikers, who reached 132-8, with Knight picking up the wicket of Amanda-Jade Wellington.

The England skipper is in her first season with Thunder, having played for Hobart Hurricanes in previous WBBLs.

The Sydney climate had not previously been kind to Knight this year – after England were eliminated from the Women’s T20 World Cup in March when rain washed out their semi-final against India, and then prevented a result being possible in Thunder’s first two WBBL games.

That had led Knight to tweet: “Any danger Sydney!!! 3 in a row for the weather.”

But Saturday’s knock, in which she shared a fourth-wicket stand of 122 with Thunder captain Rachael Haynes, eclipsed her previous best WBBL score, an unbeaten 82 for Hurricanes against Melbourne Stars in 2018.

This entire WBBL season is being played at various venues around Sydney with players remaining in bio-secure bubbles because of the coronavirus pandemic.

While Knight finally escaped the rain for once, the weather ended Perth Scorchers’ run chase halfway through their innings against Melbourne Renegades at Drummoyne Oval, but the Scorchers won by 18 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn took 0-19 from four overs for the Scorchers, while team-mate Amy Jones was not required to bat.

Rain at the Showground then prevented a result in a reduced-overs game between Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes, whose innings was ended three balls short of the five overs they needed to face for a result to be possible.

The Sydney Sixers-Melbourne Stars game was washed out without a ball bowled.