LISA Griffith marked her return to the Women’s Big Bash League on Sunday by pulling off a final-ball run-out to clinch victory for her Sydney Thunder outfit.
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Playing at Lilac Hill, hosts the Perth Scorchers needed two runs off the final delivery to send the Twenty20 match into a super over.
Mathilda Carmichael cut a length delivery to deep cover and as she turned for her second run, Griffith fired the ball in to her wicket-keeper Rachel Priest.
She whipped off the bails and with Carmichael short of her ground, Thunder clinched a one-run victory which had them sitting on top of the Women’s Big Bash League ladder on Sunday evening.
Griffith was congratulated by her team-mates for keeping her cool under pressure, the run-out coming after the Bathurst talent had earlier taken a pair of catches off Rene Farrell’s bowling to help Thunder defend its total of 145.
“A nail-biter and very happy not to go into a super over and get on top with a win in a great game,” Farrell said.
“I think it was an all-round team performance today.
“We know we can get the big scores and we can back that up in the field.”
Griffith came into the starting side on Sunday to replace the injured bowler Belinda Vakarewa and spent the first 20 overs on the sidelines watching her team-mates bat.
Listed to come in at number nine, the all-rounder was not required as Thunder finished its overs at 6-145.
Priest impressed with 42 runs from 32 deliveries at the top of the order.
As Thunder took to the field, Griffith was thrown the ball for the first time in the third over. Bowling in the power play was tough, her first six deliveries going for 16 runs.
But the Bathurst talent had her measure of revenge soon after when catching out Elyse Villani (22 off 13) at cover off a Farrell full toss to make it 1-40.
Griffith got a second over after the power play finished and though Nicola Bolton cracked her first delivery for six, the quick responded well as Perth only managed singles off her following deliveries.
Bolton (71 off 57) continued to trouble Thunder, but in the 18th over Farrell and Griffith, fielding at long on, combined to remover her.
That made it 4-126 and set up the tense finish, with Griffith helping her side home in a thriller.
Thunder took on Perth once more late on Monday at the WACA and were looking to repeat the dose.
“We’ve come over here for two wins, we’ve got a fair bit to improve on with bat and ball and in the field,” Farrell said.