Melbourne Renegades win maiden WBBL title in thriller at the MCG
Last season, the Melbourne Renegades languished at the bottom of the ladder, one of few teams in the league that had never made a WBBL final.
On Sunday afternoon, the team was reborn as star import Hayley Matthews (69 off 61 balls) led them to an eight-run win over the Brisbane Heat to clinch the franchise’s maiden WBBL title in front of a home crowd at the MCG.
The Renegades celebrate as Laura Harris departs.Credit: Getty Images
Matthews – who was crowned player of the match – said the win “hadn’t quite sunk in yet”.
“I’m so happy for myself and also for the group,” she said. “There are so many girls here that have been with this team for the last 10 years, and I think everyone just deserves it.”
The 26-year-old star described herself as “someone who gets really nervous”, but said she tries to channel her shaky hands and butterflies in “the right direction”.
“I feel as though they [the nerves] almost help me focus a bit more, and clearly it’s been working. So I should probably try getting nervous a bit more often,” she laughed.
Hayley Matthews was the matchwinner for the Renegades.Credit: Getty Images
Melbourne coach Simon Helmot said the team was “exhausted from losing last year” and said Sunday’s win was an enormous achievement.
Visibly emotional, Helmot also extended special praise to Renegades player Josephine Dooley – who supported the team from the sidelines after surviving a stroke earlier this year.
“She [Dooley] came to all the important games,” Helmot said.
After wiping away tears, he added, “Cricket... there’s just stuff about it ... it’s more than just the game. It’s about people and their trials and tribulations.”
Renegades captain Sophie Molineux echoed similar sentiments, describing Dooley as “a true inspiration”.
“For her [Dooley] to be as involved as what she could be in the season ... for us just to have her presence ... she’s just as much a part of this season as any other season,” Molineux said.
An unbeaten 44 from Brisbane’s Jess Jonassen and a six off the final ball by Nicola Hancock cut Melbourne’s winning margin to eight runs, but the Renegades were in control of the rain-interrupted match because Matthews set the platform for a competitive total with the bat, then snared two wickets with the ball.
The Renegades were treated to clear skies and afternoon sunshine, batting in a slightly humid 24-degree heat and securing a competitive 9-141 in front of 5844 spectators.
Renegades captain Sophie Molineux and coach Simon Helmot savour their team’s rags-to-riches victory.Credit: Getty Images
Rain arrived shortly after 3.15 pm during Brisbane’s innings and halted play for about 30 minutes. This led to a revised target of 98 off 12 overs.
The Renegades started on rocky ground. Opening batter Courtney Webb and Molineux were both dismissed early.
But Matthews led the recovery mission, hitting the highest individual score in a WBBL final.
The Barbadian cashed in on the power surge overs and finished with a strike rate of 113.1
Jonassen bowled four tight overs (1-25), while Charlie Knott snared 3-28.
During the Heat’s innings, the Renegades upped the pressure, with 19-year-old Milly Illingworth grabbing the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues.
The all-round class of Matthews shone again in the closing stages, bowling the Heat’s Laura Harris for a golden duck, all but sealing Melbourne’s grip on the cup with 22 balls to go.
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