Saturday’s performance was incredible, in more ways than one.
Jess Duffin did her usual thing (thump a 57-ball 76 not out) in a tense run chase, and Maitlan Brown (2-24) and Molly Strano (2-29) were as consistent as ever with the ball.
But it’s the scores the Renegades have been posting that remains the talking point.
In the past eight days (last Saturday until this Saturday), the ‘Gades have posted the following:
3-165
Against the Stars in Ballarat last Saturday.
4-184
Against the Heat in Brisbane on Wednesday.
4-163
Against the Stars in St Kilda on Saturday.
These numbers are impressive, not only because the last two have marked successful run chases, but they are the club’s second, third and fourth highest ever scores. Ever. These records date back to the first season five years ago.
The Renegades’ highest ever score is 6-189 in a losing cause against the Sydney Thunder in WBBL|03.
You can never accuse the ‘Gades of being boring.
JESS.
%E2%80%94 Renegades WBBL (@RenegadesWBBL) November 30, 2019
THE INCREDIBLE.
DUFFIN.
NO MORE WORDS NEEDED.#GETONRED pic.twitter.com/agHxl2mmSh
Jess Duffin
Those words are probably all we need to say.
You know the drill by now.
The captain walked into bat in a challenging situation and calmly set about her rescue mission before upping the ante late in the piece to carry the Renegades home.
On this occasion, Duffin came to the crease at 2-11 after seven balls. The Renegades needed 152 runs from the final 113 balls.
And yet they found a way, primarily through the captain’s mix of skill and force, but also through the calm of Courtney Webb (30 runs off 27 balls) and Tammy Beaumont (24 runs off 19 balls), who ensured the Renegades kept their finals hopes alive.
One brings two brings more brings four
Earlier in the day, these heroics felt a mile away, when the Renegades had no answers to the Stars openers.
In fact, it took 13.3 overs for the first wicket to fall, as Lizelle Lee (70 runs off 44 balls) and Elyse Villani (45 runs off 39 balls) hammered the ball to all corners of the CitiPower Centre.
But once the first wicket finally fell, their middle order opened up.
Strano and Brown combined to take four wickets in the space of seven balls to slow the Stars’ momentum, though they still finished with 4-162 runs.
Perhaps Anna Lanning should take credit as the game changer here.
It was her, after all, who took the catch that brought about the first wicket. It was a stunning take, running at full pelt along the boundary rope to catch Lee as she went for her fourth six.
The catch that changed the match? We hope so. We'll find out in an hour or so. But for now, enjoy Anna Lanning's brilliant take on the rope to stop the Stars in their tracks #GETONRED pic.twitter.com/ixFUR9uwKU
%E2%80%94 Renegades WBBL (@RenegadesWBBL) November 30, 2019
What comes next
It all comes down to Sunday.
The Renegades are now in fourth place on the WBBL ladder thanks to their win over the Stars and the Sydney Sixers’ loss to the Adelaide Strikers.
A win for the ‘Gades against the Sydney Thunder at the CitiPower Centre on Sunday and a Sixers’ loss to the Strikers hours later will mean the Renegades feature in finals in WBBL|05.
And now we wait.