Women’s Big Bash League 2023-24: Strikers-Hurricanes Match Abandoned Due to Pitch Damage
Adelaide – A Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) match between the Adelaide Strikers and Hobart Hurricanes was abandoned mid-game on Saturday after a pitch irregularity arose during the innings break. The incident occurred when a ball became lodged under a pitch roller, creating a notable hole in the playing surface.
during warm-ups between innings, the ball became trapped beneath the roller as it moved across the pitch, resulting in a “hole” that officials resolute altered the playing conditions “substantially.” Following consultation, a decision was made to abandon the match, as it was deemed unfair to have the Hurricanes bat on a surface materially different from that faced by the Strikers.
“After consultation, it was considered unreasonable to expect Hobart to bat in conditions that were materially different to those the Strikers had,” a league statement confirmed. Hurricanes captain Elyse Villani described the damage as “quite large and deep.”
Both teams were awarded one point from the abandoned match. The Hurricanes had already secured first place and an automatic berth in the final. The Strikers, who had posted 167-4 before the interruption, remain in sixth place, two spots outside the qualifying positions, with one game remaining.
They trail both the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades – currently in fifth and fourth place respectively - by a single point,with the top four teams advancing to the finals.
