Cricket

Sydney Thunder's impressive batting performance, led by Heather Knight and Chamari Athapaththu, and Hannah Darlington's effective bowling helped them avenge their earlier WBBL loss to Hobart Hurricanes.Despite a 31-run defeat in Hobart three days prior, Thunder emerged victorious in a rain-affected match at North Sydney Oval, winning by 33 runs. The match was reduced to 17 overs per side due to a 30-minute delay.Athapaththu (38 off 29) and Knight (48 off 28) played crucial roles in Thunder's total of 146 for 5. Hurricanes made a strong start, scoring 18 runs off the first seven balls, but their momentum was halted as they lost five wickets for just 13 runs in the final overs.Darlington claimed the key wickets of Lizelle Lee and Heather Graham, while Athapaththu contributed with the ball, taking 1 for 11 off three overs and dismissing England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge.Knight, who missed the first encounter between the teams, showcased her class with some elegant shots, particularly during the power surge over bowled by Molly Strano. She struck 14 runs off the last three balls, including a six over long off and two fours.Athapaththu, who had been dismissed for a first-ball duck in the previous match, was dropped at deep midwicket on 5. She went on to hit sixes over deep midwicket and long off before being caught by Strano off her own bowling.In response, Lee started aggressively, hitting boundaries off the first two balls of Hurricanes' chase. However, Thunder's bowlers fought back, with Athapaththu having Wyatt-Hodge caught at backward point. Nicola Carey, who had scored a half-century in the previous game, was dismissed by Shabnim Ismail.Lee was adjudged lbw after the mid-innings break, but replays showed she would have been reprieved if she had used DRS. A 43-run partnership between Graham and Elyse Villani gave Hurricanes hope, but their dismissals in successive overs triggered a collapse.

Sydney Thunder has made a significant acquisition ahead of WBBL10 by signing all-rounder Georgia Voll from Brisbane Heat on a three-year contract. Voll, 20, is widely regarded as one of Australia's most promising batting talents and has also made an impact with her offspin bowling.Despite a challenging WBBL season with the bat, Voll showcased her batting prowess later in the season with a double century in the red-ball 'Green and Gold' game and two WNCL hundreds for Queensland. Her all-around abilities attracted interest from multiple WBBL clubs, but Voll was swayed by conversations with Thunder coach Lisa Keightley."I never expected to play for a New South Wales team, but after talking to Lisa and the guys down there, I'm super excited for the opportunity," Voll said. "Lisa was clear on the role she wants me to play, and that got me over the line."Sydney Thunder general manager Trent Copeland praised Voll's talent and potential. "Georgia has shown since the day she arrived on the scene that she is a special talent with both bat and ball," Copeland said. "She is a future Australian star, and this is a huge signing for the club."Voll's departure from Heat marks a period of significant change for the team, which has also lost Amelia Kerr to Sydney Sixers and coach Ashley Noffke. However, Heat has signed South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk and still boasts a formidable top order led by Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Laura Harris, and Charli Knott.