Sydney Thunder, with Litchfield scoring 46, defeated Hobart Hurricanes by six wickets after they scored 129 for 4 against Hobart Hurricanes’ 126 for 6 with Villani scoring 49*.
Phoebe Litchfield led Sydney Thunder to a tense six-wicket victory at Drummoyne Oval, bringing them one step closer to the WBBL grand final and ending Hobart Hurricanes’ season.
Needing 26 runs from the last three overs in the knockout final, Thunder seemed to be in a tough spot chasing 127 for victory.
Litchfield and Anika Learoyd entered the scene and completed the task for the Thunder with six balls remaining. The duo scored 16 runs in the 18th over bowled by Heather Graham, and then Litchfield hit a six off the first ball of the following over bowled by Nicola Carey.
The 21-year-old was ultimately dismissed while attempting to scoop Carey and wrap up the game, but once she left the field with 46 runs, the game was practically finished.
Litchfield remained composed during the chase, easing the pressure by hitting Hurricanes’ bowlers to the boundary twice. She scored five boundaries in her 36-ball innings, with Hurricanes regretting a missed stumping opportunity when Litchfield was on 23 and Thunder required 42 runs for victory.
As Learoyd contributed with an unbeaten 23 from 24, her runs complemented Chamari Athapaththu’s 31 at the beginning, who also managed to take two wickets.
Thunder’s win ensures they will face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Friday night, and the victor will then play against Melbourne Renegades in Sunday’s final at the MCG.
Elyse Villani had provided the Hurricanes with a glimmer of hope for a win by scoring an undefeated 49 runs, despite the team starting poorly at 47 for 4 in the first 10 overs.
Athapaththu was most effective with the ball, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs. She dismissed Carey for 1 and then got Heather Graham out for 10 caught cutting to cover.
Litchfield managed to grab two clean catches, and Taneale Peschel dismissed Lizelle Lee for 23, which was crucial.
Despite Molly Strano’s 1 for 8 from four overs and Amy Smith’s 1 for 17 from three overs putting pressure on Thunder, Litchfield ultimately capitalized on her second chance to secure the win.
