Rebel WBBL|06

Cricket at large entered a turbulent unknown in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, however there was still time enough for the Sydney Thunder to write themselves into the history books in WBBL|06.

The Thunder's eventual triumph was made all the more significant given the competition's testing circumstances in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. All clubs were placed in a 'WBBL hub' for the entire duration of the tournament, with all matches limited to just five venues across New South Wales and several games ultimately abandoned, although due to an increased amount of rain rather than detected cases.

One byproduct of the hub environment was a 'pool' of ready-to-go players, who could be called upon for any team as injury or management cover. One incredibly odd phenonenon of the pool was Rosemary Mair playing for both the Stars and Renegades within the space of a few weeks.

Sydney's run towards the decider had them running an incredible wave of momentum. A jaw-dropping semi-final collapse from the Brisbane Heat - in a commanding position with 16 runs to win and four wickets in hand - resulted in them spectacularly crashing out in a potential title hat-trick, losing 6-12 at the hands of the rampant Thunder who in turn booked themselves in for a final against the Melbourne Stars.

Under the leadership of batting extraordinare Meg Lanning, who had left some seasons earlier for a brief stint at the Scorchers, the Stars finished on top of the table and were considered favourites in what could potentially be the club's first piece of silverware across both the WBBL and BBL.

Lanning's successful call at the bat flip had the Thunder just about ready to pull the pads on at North Sydney Oval, however her decision to bat first left all involved flummoxed; especially given it was the first time she had made that decision to bat first since WBBL|02.

Ultimately, the Stars' bold call backfired. Mustering just 86 runs from their 20 overs, the Thunder chased down the total with relative ease to claim their first championship since the WBBL's inaugural season.