Beaumont hungry for more to get 'Gades back on track

Tammy Beaumont has looked the pick of the Melbourne Renegades’ imports with bat in hand so far this Weber WBBL season. 

But the England opener admits she is frustrated not to have turned strong starts into bigger innings, particularly after the Renegades have found themselves on the losing side of two close games.

Beaumont has transformed herself into an aggressive T20 striker across the past 18 months in response to being axed from England’s 20-over side. 

The right-hander arrived in Australia full of confidence after finishing second on the runs table in The Hundred, where she hit 290 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 153.43 for Welsh Fire, a campaign that also saw her become the tournament’s first century maker. 

There have been signs of that form in Beaumont’s four innings in red so far in WBBL|09; most notably in her 18-ball 34 against the Heat and her 42 off 24 against the Sixers. 

"I feel like I'm hitting them well, but I'm not contributing big enough runs," Beaumont told cricket.com.au.  

"I think if you are someone that's at the top of the order, you have got to be batting longer.  

"And (Saturday) was the day I felt really good and felt like I was going to take the team as far into the chase as possible ... but it is what it is, that's cricket." 

On Saturday, Beaumont gave the Renegades a solid platform in their pursuit of the Sixers’ 7-164 before she was given out caught behind, with the umpire determining a bouncer from Maitlan Brown had glanced off the England star’s bat onto her helmet before ballooning up in the air.  

The opener said post-match that although she felt the ball had struck her helmet directly, she accepted the decision. 

However, she did echo calls from fellow England import Maia Bouchier for consistent availability of the Decision Review System, which is currently only available in the 24 out of 59 games that are broadcast by Channel Seven. 

The remaining games are live streamed, and the technology does not support the use of DRS. That means the ability to review is inconsistent on a game-by-game basis, while some teams also have more Channel Seven matches than others. 

"I think unless we all start getting DRS and third umpire - which is what we have in The Hundred, every game has got a referral system - I think it makes a big difference," she said.  

The Renegades sit sixth on the table with one win from four matches, having fallen six runs short against both the Heat and the Sixers. 

Their other loss was more comprehensive, to the Thunder by eight wickets, while their sole victory was an 81-run thrashing of defending champions Adelaide Strikers. 

That has Beaumont positive that the Renegades will be able to challenge for the top four in what is shaping to be an even season. 

"At the end of the day, other than that Thunder game, we've had some really close losses," Beaumont said.  

"So I don't think we've got to reinvent the wheel.  

"I think we just need to try to win those key moments, keep our composure and keep believing. 

"We’re really not far away - the Heat are at the top of the table and we lost by four runs." 

The Renegades are back in action against the Thunder, who have won both of their matches so far, at the CitiPower Centre on Wednesday. 

Having played for the Sydney club last season, Beaumont is eager to get the better of them this time around. 

"I think they're obviously flying high and they're doing really well, they recruited well (but) hopefully we can turn it around against them and put them under pressure," she said. 

Weber WBBL|09 Standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points

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