WBBL: Sydney Thunder humbled by Melbourne Renegades in Canberra clash

The Renegades relegated the Thunder to bottom spot on the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) ladder after winning the match by eight wickets with five and a half overs to spare in a dominant display.

"It was a bit embarrassing to be honest with the bat," Thunder captain Rachael Haynes told The Canberra Times.

"It's probably the story of our season, we just haven't had enough of our top order stand up at the right time and it happened again.

"So I think these last couple of games it'd be really nice if some of our senior players, including me, can stand up and show everyone the way because it's been missing this year."

The rain stayed away for the clash between the two cellar-dwellers, and the 1157 in attendance were treated to plenty of action as the Renegades tore through the Thunder batting order to dismiss Sydney for just 95 runs.

After winning the toss and sending the Thunder in to bat, Georgia Prestwidge (3/22) was a standout with the ball in a strong all-round bowling effort from Melbourne.

Ella Hayward (2/21) claimed the wicket of Sydney opener Tammy Beaumont for just five runs and the Thunder lost another three wickets in quick succession, to be left flailing at 4/19 after just five overs.

Phoebe Litchfield (six runs) was dismissed off a diving catch by former Meteor Erica Kershaw at short cover and ex-Thunder bowler Shabnim Ismail's excited wicket celebration should have fired up the women in green, but the Renegades continued to inflict damage.

Amy Jones was sent packing (seven runs) after a cracking one-handed catch by Prestwidge, and skipper Haynes followed her to the sheds two deliveries later, out for a duck.

Four wickets down, the Thunder desperately needed a partnership to dig them out of a hole.

South African import Chloe Tryon and Tahlia Wilson threatened to do just that but they too came undone. A yorker by Sarah Coyte (2/12) bamboozled Tryon to rattle the stumps.

Sammy-Jo Johnson and Wilson had their moments on the pristine Canberra deck with three-straight boundaries by the former a highlight.

Prestidge dismissed Johnson for 16, and Wilson (20 runs) was caught and bowled by Hayley Matthews (1/12) in the very next over.

Coyt got her second scalp of the night with Hannah Darlington out for two runs and Lauren Smith (one run) was right behind her to send Thunder veteran Sam Bates to the crease at 9/69.

Alongside Belinda Vakarewa, Bates did her best to squeeze out as many runs as she could from the remaining overs, wanting to give her teammates a defendable total in her milestone 100th WBBL match.

Vakarewa took advantage of a no-ball free hit to find the boundary, and then whacked a pull shot to the rope to finish with 15 off 14 balls, only to be run-out on the last ball of the innings.

The Thunder had the best possible start in the field, with Litchfield keeping her cool looking up at the lights to catch Chamari Athapaththu out for a duck off a short and wide delivery by Johnson (1/20).

Matthews got in a groove and fired her first six of the season as she built a handy partnership with Josie Dooley.

The partnership was halted by Lauren Smith (1/12) who lured an edge from Dooley to be caught at extra cover by Amy Jones.

But Courtney Webb (25 not-out) and Matthews (34 not-out) picked up where they left off to guide their team beyond 50 and surpass the Thunder's total with a couple of boundaries closing out their innings at 2/98.

The Thunder will next face the Sydney Sixers in a derby at North Sydney Oval on Friday, while the Renegades face the Scorchers on Sunday.

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