<
>

Lee cashes in on stumping reprieve to set up Hurricanes victory

Lizelle Lee made the most of a life to hit 91 Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes 174 for 3 (Lee 91) beat Sydney Thunder 150 for 6 (Litchfield 68) by 24 runs

Umpiring and technology use in the WBBL is again in the spotlight after a crucial stumping wasn't given out in Hobart Hurricanes' 24-run win over the Sydney Thunder.

Hurricanes opener Lizelle Lee top-scored with 91 from 54 balls in Launceston to set up her team's second victory from four matches this season.

However, she was given a life in the sixth over on 12 when a stumping off Thunder spinner Heather Knight was not given out by the square-leg umpire.

Replays showed Lee was short of her ground when wicketkeeper Tahlia Wilson whipped off the bails.

Lee smacked 12 fours and two sixes and was eventually out on the second-last ball of the innings

Thunder got off to a sluggish start in reply before the in-form Phoebe Litchfield gave them a slim sniff with a career-best 42-ball 68.

With Litchfield at the crease Thunder needed 39 runs heading into the second last over, which was bowled one ball short after Heather Graham sent down two wides.

Litchfield fell in the final over but during her innings became the youngest batter to reach 1000 WBBL runs.

Cricket Australia on Monday said it is looking to introduce third-umpire technology for all WBBL games next season.

The league introduced the decision review system last season for the first time but only for the 24 matches televised on free-to-air. The Hurricanes-Thunder match was streamed on various platforms but was not on free-to-air.

There have been several poor calls in the WBBL this tournament, including on Sunday when Brisbane Heat's Mignon du Preez was declared run out when she wasn't.

Earlier, Lee and fellow opener Elyse Villani (40 from 34 balls) put on 68 runs - Hurricanes' second-highest opening stand in their history.

Graham chipped in with a valuable 31 not out from 23 deliveries to push Hurricanes to their second-highest first-innings score.

Thunder, who last season finished bottom of the table with just one win, are now 2-1 after three matches.

Thunder 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st31AMCJK AthapaththuTB Wilson
2nd2TB WilsonP Litchfield
3rd6HC KnightP Litchfield
4th34M KappP Litchfield
5th65P LitchfieldAB Learoyd
6th11P LitchfieldO Porter
7th1O PorterCF Moore