NAOMI Stalenberg was named player of the match in the Sydney Women’s Big Bash League derby after whacking 48 off 41 balls and taking a catch.
Stalenberg and the Thunder got the better of the Sydney Sixers on Saturday, before the Sixers men got the better of the Thunder later that night at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Thunder women chased down 113 in 19 overs, with Stalenberg top scoring for the match and digging her team out of a tricky situation.
Rachel Priest was dismissed for a first-ball duck, with only one run on the board, and shortly afterwards, Alex Blackwell fell for a seventh-ball duck.
Stalenberg came to the crease with the score at 3-21 and a lot of work to do, and stepped up for the Thunder.
She blasted 48 crucial runs on the chase at a strike rate of 117. Her knock included two balls over the fence and five into the boundary.
Stalenberg fell with the score at 4-109 after being bowled while trying to play a sweep shot. Her job was done, however, with only nine runs needed off 17 balls for the win.
She also took a tricky catch near the rope, after Ashleigh Gardner top edged an attempted hook shot, with Stalenberg running in and securing the ball after a dive.
After nine matches, the Sydney Thudner women are on top of the ladder with seven wins.
The Thunder has a double header at Wagga Wagga against the Adelaide Strikers on Saturday, before a rematch with the Sixers on Sunday.
On January 24, they will take on the Melbourne Renegades in Canberra.
