Mooney and Devine Cruise as Scorchers Romp Past Renegades by Nine Wickets

Perth Scorchers launched their WBBL campaign in style on Saturday night, hammering the winless Melbourne Renegades by nine wickets at the WACA Ground. The Renegades made a dreadful start, collapsing to 20 for 4 after losing four wickets for five runs in the space of 14 deliveries, with seamer Chloe Ainsworth taking 2 for 22 and Pakistan all-rounder Fatima Sana impressing on her WBBL debut with 2 for 27. Georgia Wareham and Nicole Faltum rescued the visitors from complete embarrassment, combining for a club-record fifth-wicket partnership of 109, with Wareham scoring 62 and Faltum 48, but 136 for 6 was never going to be enough. Perth lost Katie Mack early for 9, yet captain Beth Mooney and former skipper Sophie Devine were completely untroubled from there, Mooney finishing unbeaten on 58 and Devine on 47 not out. Devine applied the finishing touches with back-to-back sixes off Wareham as the Scorchers reached 138 for 1 in just 13.3 overs, sealing victory with 39 balls to spare and handing the Renegades a second straight defeat to start the season.