A brilliant all-round display from Georgia Voll has powered the Sydney Thunder to an impressive six-wicket win over the Renegades to open the new WBBL season.

Voll was out for back-to-back ducks and didn’t bowl in the recent T20 series against New Zealand but bounced back to form on Thursday.

She claimed 4/26 with the ball to help restrict the hosts to 9/138 after an almighty collapse before the opener made 25 off 18 to get the Thunder chase off to a flying start.

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Voll ripped through the middle order as Melbourne lost 5/2 at one stage, before she then whacked the second ball of the innings for six to get the visitors going.

It’s a great sign for the Thunder, who also welcomed back Hannah Darlington, with the seamer picking up a couple of wickets.

They reeled in the target with 18 balls to spare, even though captain Phoebe Litchfield missed out with the bat, managing just 14 before being caught by rival captain Sophie Molineux.

The Renegades had a chance of stealing the win when they removed Litchfield, but Anika Learoyd (48 off 37) and Heather Knight (29 not out) quickly reasserted control with a 62-run partnership.

It was Learoyd’s highest ever WBBL score and showed they have the depth to beat teams a number of ways.

The return of Tayla Vlaeminck from injury was a major positive for the Renegades, with the speedster bowling with heat in her first WBBL game in five years.

Vlaeminck was rewarded with the wicket of Learoyd with the game well and truly gone, before the quick then removed the dangerous Laura Harris for a duck.

She looms as a key weapon for them this season, but her teammates have to give her bigger totals to defend after a shocking collapse.

The Renegades looked at ease at 1/76 at the midway point of their innings, only for Hayley Matthews to throw her wicket away for 45 off the first ball of the 11th over.

They steadied to reach 4-117, only to lose five wickets in seven deliveries to rob them of a defendable total.



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