West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews' all-round heroics led Melbourne Renegades to their first-ever Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) title with a seven-run win by DLS method. In a rain-curtailed WBBL 2024 final at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Brisbane Heat could not chase down the target of 98 from 12 overs.
Matthews leads Renegades to fighting total
Brisbane Heat captain Jess Jonassen won the toss and opted to bowl first. The hosts lost three wickets in the powerplay overs. Matthews' two fours in the sixth over took their score to 41/3 after field restrictions. Georgia Wareham departed for a run-a-ball 21 before losing his wicket in the 10th over. Matthews accelerated in the 13th over with three fours off Shikha Pandey. In the 16th over, she reached her half-century from 47 balls. Wickets kept falling in the slog overs. In the last over, Matthews scored 10 runs off first three balls before falling to Charli Knott. Her 61-ball 69 was laced with eight fours. Melbourne Renegades posted 141/9.
Renegades face massive collapse
First over into the run chase, Grace Harris lost her wicket for a two-ball duck to Charis Bekker. In the next over, Jemimah Rodrigues went for a big shot but got caught off Milly Illingworth's bowling. In the fourth over, rain interrupted play. After the long interruption, Brisbane Heat got the target of 98.
The run chase did not resume as expected for Renegades as Sophie Molineux got rid of opener Georgia Redmayne. In the seventh over, Matthews did damage with the ball and dismissed Knott, Laura Harris off consecutive deliveries. Brisbane Heat were 37/5 after seven overs.
Jonassen's knock not enough
Jonassen and Nicola Hancock tried to revive the run chase but 61 from last five overs was too big a target for them. Jonassen remained unbeaten for 28-ball 44 whereas Hancock scored 13 runs from six deliveries as Brisbane managed to post 90/6. They missed out on winning the WBBL title for the third time.
