Renegades' crushing win leaves Thunder in last place

The Sydney Thunder are staring down the barrel of the Weber WBBL|08 wooden spoon after the Melbourne Renegades crushed the lime green team in Canberra. 

The Renegades' bowlers fired from the get-go to bowl the Thunder out for 95, a target which was chased down with eight wickets in hand and 34 balls to spare. 

The loss leaves the Thunder in the last spot on the ladder with two matches to play, having won only one of their 12 matches this season.   

Standing in as captain in place of the injured Sophie Molineux, Hayley Matthews' decision to bowl first at the toss was immediately vindicated. 

Spinner Ella Hayward got the big wicket of England international Tammy Beaumont (five) in the first over, middling a sweep shot straight to Georgia Prestwidge at square leg.  

The Thunder then slumped again, losing three wickets for one run in the space of eight balls as Phoebe Litchfield (six), Amy Jones (seven) and Rachael Haynes (none) were all out before the fifth over was done to leave the score at 4-19. 

Hayward showed her prowess in the field for the wicket of Jones, leaping at midwicket and pulling in a right-handed catch off the bowling of Prestwidge.  

It was the first of a stellar night for Prestwidge, who claimed 3-22 from her four overs. 

Tahlia Wilson top-scored with 20 and she teamed up with Sammy-Jo Johnson (16) to momentarily stop the bleeding in a 28-run stand, which was the highest of the innings.  

The last-wicket pairing of Belinda Vakarewa (15) and Sam Bates (six not out) didn't garner too many runs in their 25-run stand but did manage to bat out the remaining 29 balls of the innings, with Vakarewa eventually run out on the final ball.  

Quicks Sarah Coyte (2-12) and Shabnim Ismail (1-22) were both effective while Hayley Matthews' four overs cost her only 12 runs which included a terrific caught and bowled to dismiss Wilson.  

Matthews ensured the chase was no issue for the Renegades, despite the early loss of Chamari Athapaththu for a duck.  

Matthews struck five fours and a six in her unbeaten 42 (off 37 balls), striking several glorious boundaries through the cover region.  

Josie Dooley (21 off 20) and Courtney Webb (25 not out off 26) played the support role perfectly as Matthews completed the chase with consecutive fours off Johnson.  

Vakarewa found plenty of movement through the air and was miserly in her spell (0-13 off four overs) and Lauren Smith gave nothing away either (1-12 off three) but the Thunder didn't have enough runs to work with.  

The Renegades leapfrog the Thunder and take seventh spot on the ladder with one match remaining, against the Perth Scorchers on November 20. 

The Thunder still have two games to make amends, facing the Sydney Sixers on November 18 and the Hobart Hurricanes on November 20.  

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