PERTH, Australia, CMC – West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor had little impact as her Sydney Thunder lost their second match of the Women’s Big Bash League, with a six-wicket defeat to Perth Scorchers here yesterday.
Sent in at Lilac Hill Park, the visitors rallied to 179 for five off their 20 overs, with opener Rachael Haynes top-scoring with 50 off 40 balls and Indian star Harmanpreet Kaur getting 45 from 29 balls, with a four and four sixes.
Haynes helped give the innings a rousing start, putting on 77 off 42 deliveries for the first wicket with Rachel Priest whose 43 came from 23 deliveries and included eight fours and a six.
When four wickets tumbled for 40 runs to leave Sydney on 117 for four in the 14th over, Kaur combined with Taylor, who cracked an unbeaten 24 off 17 balls, to add 49 for the fifth wicket and give the innings a late push.
In reply, however, Scorchers raced to their target with a ball to spare, courtesy of half-centuries from captain Meg Lanning (76) and Elyse Villani (66 not out).
The pair 93 off 56 balls with Lanning the more audacious of the two with 12 fours and a six in a 40-ball knock.
It was Villani who saw her side home, however, adding a further 46 for the second wicket with Amy Jones (13), before helping garner the six runs required off the final over, bowled by off-spinner Taylor.
Thunder lies second in the eight-team standings on 12 points, two points behind cross-town rivals, Sydney Sixers.
