Thunder roll into Drummoyne for blockbuster weekend

The closest Rebel WBBL season to date leaves little room for a bad day, Brisbane Heat allrounder Delissa Kimmince believes.

With 32 of 56 regular season matches run and won, four teams are locked on 10 points at the top of the table.

A high net run rate of 0.733 has the Brisbane Heat in top spot, ahead of Adelaide Strikers (0.492), Sydney Sixers (0.276) and the Perth Scorchers (-0.202).

Breathing down their necks are the Sydney Thunder, on nine points, followed by the Melbourne Renegades on eight.

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The only teams to have dropped off the pace are the Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, with just three wins between them.

"You definitely don’t want to lose any now with it being so close," Kimmince told cricket.com.au.

"I think it’s going to be like the last few years and come down to those last couple of games to figure out where people sit on the ladder and where you stand going into the semi-finals."

Five of the top six teams will feature in a blockbuster weekend at Drummoyne Oval, where the Thunder are hosting their Festival Weekend.

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To come this weekend at Drummoyne Oval:

Thunder v Sixers | Friday 7.10pm AEDT

Thunder v Heat | Saturday 7.10pm AEDT

Scorchers v Heat | Sunday 10am AEDT

Sixers v Renegades | Sunday 2.10pm AEDT

Catch the action matches on 7Cricket, Fox Cricket, or live streamed via Kayo and the CA Live app, with radio coverage on the ABC; Scorchers v Heat will be streamed live on the CA Live app and Kayo

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Earning a place in the top four is crucial, but taking out top spot comes with the right to host both semi-finals and the final, to be played from December 6-8.

Coming off consecutive losses, the Thunder could not face a sterner test than showdowns with the Sixers and the Heat.

But they have been boosted by the return of talented teenager Phoebe Litchfield, with the 16-year-old available after missing both matches against the Scorchers due to her Year 10 exams.

"We’re coming up against the two finalists from last year and they’re having pretty exceptional seasons themselves," Thunder captain Rachael Haynes said.

"They’re going to be tough games, but we’ve shown throughout the season during the tough moments we’re able to stick together and find a way.

"From our point of view, we’ve got to keep winning games to make sure we’re there at the business end."

Elsewhere, the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Stars travel to Nurioopta, in the Barossa Valley, to play on Saturday.

The Strikers will be looking to stay in touch with the top teams, while the eighth-ranked Stars will hunt their second win of the season.

Squads (so far)

Sydney Thunder: Rachael Haynes (c), Sam Bates, Alex Blackwell, Nida Dar, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Phoebe Litchfield, Kate Peterson, Rachel Priest, Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

Sydney Sixers: Sarah Aley, Alisha Bates, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Maddy Darke, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jodie Hicks, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry (c), Hayley Silver-Holmes, Lauren Smith, Dane Van Niekerk

Brisbane Heat: Kirby Short (c), Maddy Green, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Mikayla Hinkley, Sammy-Jo Johnson, Jessica Jonassen, Amelia Kerr, Delissa Kimmince, Lily Mills, Beth Mooney, Georgia Prestwidge, Courtney Sippel

Melbourne Stars: Elyse Villani (c), Kristen Beams, Mignon du Preez, Nicole Faltum, Holly Ferling, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Katey Martin, Erin Osborne, Madeline Penna, Annabel Sutherland

Adelaide Strikers: Suzie Bates (c), Darcie Brown, Sarah Coyte, Sophie Devine, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Tegan McPharlin, Annie O’Neil, Bridget Patterson, Alex Price, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Lauren Winfield

The Renegades and Scorchers will name squads on Saturday