Cricket

Hobart Hurricanes' record-breaking chase of 174 against Brisbane Heat on Saturday marked a significant moment in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge played a pivotal role in the victory, smashing 62 runs off just 35 deliveries.Heat's innings was anchored by Grace Harris' 75, who opened the batting for Australia in the recent World Cup. However, Hurricanes' bowlers managed to restrict Heat to a total of 173 for 5.Wyatt-Hodge and fellow opener Lizelle Lee set the tone for Hurricanes' chase with a blistering 55-run partnership in the opening six overs. Wyatt-Hodge continued to dominate the innings, hitting six fours and three sixes.Despite losing Lee for 38, Wyatt-Hodge remained unfazed and rallied her team. She was eventually dismissed by legspinner Grace Parsons, but not before leaving Hurricanes with a manageable target of 33 runs from the final three overs.Elyse Villani's reverse-swept boundary in the final over sealed the victory for Hurricanes, who secured a seven-wicket win with two balls remaining.Wyatt-Hodge's performance earned her the player-of-the-match award, while Parsons' economical spell of 1 for 15 kept Heat in the contest.The victory ended Heat's undefeated start to the WBBL season and marked a record-breaking day for Hurricanes. Their previous best WBBL chase came in October 2021, when they hauled in a target of 145 against Melbourne Stars.

Australia's Women's T20 World Cup title defense has been met with a potential setback as batter Phoebe Litchfield has been ruled out of the warm-up matches due to groin soreness. The news emerged ahead of Australia's first warm-up against England in Dubai on September 29.Adding to the injury concerns, Grace Harris, who has been sidelined since April 2024 due to calf strains in both legs, is also not yet ready to return to the field due to a "new niggle." However, she has resumed training.Cricket Australia (CA) stated that an update on the availability of both players for the World Cup proper will be provided in the coming days. Australia will play a second warm-up match against West Indies on October 1 before opening their tournament against Sri Lanka on October 5.India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are the other teams in Australia's Group A. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18, with the final scheduled for October 20.Litchfield's absence from the warm-up games is a blow to Australia's preparations, as she has been a key member of the team in recent years. She was part of the squad that won the 2020 T20 World Cup and has scored over 1,000 runs in T20Is.Harris's return to fitness would be a significant boost for Australia, as she is a powerful hitter and a reliable fielder. Her experience and leadership would also be invaluable to the team.Australia will be hoping that both Litchfield and Harris can recover in time for the World Cup, as they aim to defend their title and claim their sixth T20 World Cup crown.

UP Warriorz Triumph Over Gujarat Giants in WPL EncounterIn a thrilling Women's Premier League (WPL) match in Bengaluru on Friday, UP Warriorz emerged victorious with a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Gujarat Giants. The Warriorz's chase was spearheaded by the brilliant Grace Harris, whose unbeaten 60 runs off just 33 balls proved pivotal on a sluggish surface.Harris's blistering innings, which included nine boundaries and two sixes, guided the Warriorz to their target of 143 runs in a mere 15.4 overs. Skipper Alyssa Healy also played a significant role, contributing a quickfire 33 runs off 21 balls to set the tone for the chase.The Giants' innings had a promising start, with Lara Wolvaardt's 28 runs helping them reach 41 in the Powerplay. However, they struggled to maintain momentum, managing to score just 142 runs for the loss of five wickets.Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone's impressive spell of 3/20 capitalized on the sluggish pitch conditions, restricting the Giants' scoring rate. Despite a brief comeback by the Giants, where they picked up quick wickets to reduce UP to 90 for 4, Harris and Deepti Sharma (17 not out) ensured victory with their aggressive batting display.Earlier, Phoebe Litchfield (35 runs off 26 balls) and Asheligh Gardner (30 runs off 17 balls) provided some resistance for the Giants with a 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, their efforts were not enough to propel their team to a competitive total, as the Warriors comfortably chased down the target with Harris leading the charge.