Sydney Thunder finished the season on a winning note by toppling the Scorchers by five wickets in Perth
Match Recap: Thunder defeat Scorchers
Match in a tweet: Taylor's scintillating half-century guides the Thunder to comfortable victory over the Scorchers.
The score: Perth Scorchers 4-131 (Bolton 53) in 20 overs lost to Sydney Thunder 5-134 (Taylor 62) in 19.1 overs by five wickets.
The hero: Stafanie Taylor was not going to mess around chasing a competitive target of 132. The West Indies star sent the Scorchers bowlers on a leather hunt at Lilac Hill, hitting eight boundaries in her innings of 62 from 54 balls. Taylor dispatched balls to and over the boundary ropes with a mixture of timing and brute power. Gifted with some gentle offerings on her pads, Taylor wasted no time by belting two fours during the power play. Once the field was spread, Taylor continued to hit the ball through the leg-side to great effect to lead the Thunder to a comprehensive victory.
The support cast: Alex Blackwell might not have finished the game off but her quick-fire 26 from 20 balls laid the foundation for the Thunder’s win. The skipper shared a vital 57-run partnership with Taylor and in the process smashed four boundaries to ensure the required run-rate always stayed within control.
The consolation act: Nicole Bolton was in imperious form at the Lilac Hill as she guided the Scorchers to 4-131. The left-hander timed the ball beautifully from the outset, piercing the infield with majestic drives. Aware of the match situation, Bolton never allowed the Scorchers’ innings to stagnate by rotating the strike nicely and picking up the singles. Bolton finished on 53 from 43 balls, striking three fours and a six.
The over: Elyse Villani gave the Scorchers a slim hope of pulling off a remarkable win by taking three wickets in an over. Thrown the ball with the Thunder requiring 15 off 18 balls, Villani removed Taylor (62) and Nicola Carey off consecutive balls, before snaring a sharp return catch from Naomi Stalenbery (0) to claim her third in space of six balls.
The next stop: The Thunder end their season on a high but still miss out on the finals, while the Scorchers will have a couple of days to prepare for their semi-final clash.