WBBL 2024-25 – Georgia Voll’s onslaught sets up record Thunder total in huge win

Sydney Thunder 212 for 5 (Voll 92, Litchfield 49) beat Adelaide Strikers 148 (Mack 51, Bates 4-21, Ismail 3-18) by 64 runs

In a record-breaking blitz at North Sydney Oval, Voll’s 92 from 55 balls helped Thunder smash their highest total – 212 for 5.

The result marked the Thunder’s most emphatic victory in the competition’s 10-year history, and their second win in three games to start the year.

Two-time defending-champions Adelaide are now 1-2 to start the summer, in the shortened 19-game season.

And Voll was the star on Friday for Thunder, in just the 21-year-old’s third WBBL match since moving from Brisbane Heat.

Brought to the Thunder on a three-year deal with the chance to open, the Queenslander smashed three sixes and 12 boundaries in her knock.

It marked only her second half-century in 61 WBBL games, but offered a glimpse of what is possible at the top of the order.

“Definitely [that’s the best I’ve hit them],” Voll said. “I’ve been up and down the order, so it’s nice to be settled at the top of the order, play my role really well and have the backing to play my shots.

“It was nice to be able to bat for a long time because I got out quite cheaply in the first couple of games.”

She slog-swept Megan Schutt for a six early, pulled Darcie Brown for another six and put spinner Anesu Mushangwe deep onto the North Sydney hill.

The right-hander looked set for a maiden century, before she picked out Amanda-Jade Wellington at short fine-leg while trying to scoop Orla Prendergast.

Voll’s runs came in 54-run opening stand with Chamari Athapaththu, before she and Phoebe Litchfield combined for a 96-run second-wicket stand off 52 balls.

Litchfield also peppered the leg boundary in her 49, while bringing her creative strokeplay with a typical mix of scoops and reverse sweeps.

The pair at one stage added six boundaries in seven balls, taking the game away from Strikers.

Heather Knight hit 28 from 15 late on as Thunder romped past their previous high total of 204 and to the third best score of any side in WBBL history.

In reply, Strikers were barely in the contest. Only Katie Mack’s 51 held the innings together early, as Shabnim Ismail took 3 for 18 before Bates ran through the middle and lower order.