Thunder smash Sixers in WBBL

Young Sydney Thunder seamer Lauren Cheatle has shown she’s one to watch for the future after picking up 4-20 to help guide the Thunder to an emphatic win in the first Rebel Women's Big Bash League Sydney derby. 

A regular fall of wickets meant that the star-studded Sixers line-up were restricted to just 101 off their 20 overs, and an assured knock of 59 not-out from West Indies’ import Stafanie Taylor saw the Thunder pass their target in just the 14^th over.

Cheatle, a 17-year-old left-arm seamer, got off to the perfect start when she came on for the Thunder in the game’s sixth over, picking up 2-2 from her first six deliveries. 

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Koski celebrates as Reakes is bowled by Cheatle // Getty Images

Her first over accounted for Saras Hungerford and McGlashan, the latter an experienced New Zealand batter, while her second spell saw off South African international Marizanne Kapp and Ange Reakes. 

The young bowler has already been turning heads, selected earlier this year for the Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars tour to Dubai, and off the back of a strong WNCL campaign for the Lend Lease Breakers has been tipped to take international plaudits sooner rather than later.

In reply, Cheatle’s international team mate Stafanie Taylor lived up to her big-hitting reputation as she formed a formidable partnership with Thunder captain Alex Blackwell to guide the home side over the line. 

Taylor, speaking at the close of play, was quick to commend the Thunder’s bowling performance. “Everyone played really well,” said the West Indian. “The bowlers bowled really well. I must give it to the bowlers – the way they bowled, restricting them to 101, and then Alex [Blackwell] and I finishing it off. That was a good performance.”

Despite scoring 59 from 38 balls and the ensuing result never looking in doubt, the Thunder’s headline international signing admitted it wasn’t all plain-sailing in the build-up to the match. “I think leading up to the game it was quite nerve-wracking,” said Taylor. “I really didn’t know what to expect. It’s the first major event and playing for a different club team than my usual club in the West Indies is quite different. I found that I gelled in really well with the girls and today was just a nerves, nerves game. But in the end it was good!”

“We are here to compete,” continued Taylor. “We’re not here to participate. We want to compete and we want to show them what we’ve got and hopefully with this performance we’ll just continue going. This is the Thunder’s first time beating the Sixers and hopefully there’s more to come!”

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Stafanie Taylor lived up to her big-hitting reputation // Getty Images

Although Rachel Haynes fell early for just nine, the Thunder’s chase never looked in peril as Player of the Match Taylor blasted nine fours and the game’s only six – a straight drive over long-off in the 10^th over – on her way to a comfortable unbeaten half-century.

It was a day to forget for Elyse Perry’s Sixers, who failed to form any partnerships of note. Only veteran Southern Stars allrounder Lisa Sthalekar and South African Marizanne Kapp provided any real resistance, putting on 19 and 21 respectively in a sixth wicket partnership of 33.

However by then the damage had already been done, with the combination of Rene Farrell’s economical bowling, going at just two runs per over off her four overs, and Cheatle’s wicket-fest proving too much for the Sixers to handle.

"I think the one thing is partnerships," said Sthalekar. "Both with the bat and the ball. I think it’s really important to get those in T20 cricket. 

"You need to play a role with your partner. It’s important that we spend a bit more time together. We’ve had a great initial week together, and as a group coming together for the first time it was quite strange. 

"But now we’ve got another week and we’ve got an away trip to Perth. So we’ve got three games there which are going to be really crucial to the competition."

 Speaking of the support and the crowds at the ground however, Sthalekar said it was really encouraging. 

"It’s great. The girls want to play in front of a crowd and I think we saw some entertaining cricket out there. I think that the colours of the Sixers and the Thunder – it just adds some vibrancy to the atmosphere and it just felt different when I came to the ground. 

"This isn’t the normal type of cricket game that I’m used to. It’s really exciting to be involved and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the competition unfolds."

The result may well prove a shock to the system for the high-profile Sixers, but for the Thunder it’ll be a day to remember after the women achieved what their male counterparts have failed to do for four years – deliver a Sydney derby win. 

The game caps off a successful first weekend for the inaugural Rebel WBBL and with four teams looking to kickstart their campaigns next weekend, the summer is set to be a cracker.