'It's actually embarrassing': WBBL farce slammed as game called off moments before likely result
Updated . First published at
A bizarre decision to call off Friday night's WBBL game 2.5 overs into the chase, with the Sydney Thunder needing just three runs for victory has been condemned as "farcical" and "a joke".
The Thunder missed out on a win against the Adelaide Strikers in a rain-shortened match at the Adelaide Oval after umpires abandoned play, robbing the batting side of what would have been crucial competition points.
With the match restricted to five overs because of the weather, and Sydney needing 46 runs to win, Phoebe Litchfield's 38 from 15 balls powered the Thunder to 0-43 from 2.5 overs.
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They were potentially seconds away from chasing down Adelaide's total of 2-45 before the umpires made the call for ground staff to come onto the field.
While there was heavy rain in the second over, the conditions had eased by the time the officials decided to call time on the contest.
When the match was called off, Thunder players and coaches looked confused over the call, which leaves them three points adrift of fourth place going into Sunday's Sydney derby.
Phoebe Litchfield of the Sydney Thunder and Tahlia McGrath of the Adelaide Strikers talk to Umpire Eloise Sheridan and Umpire Stephen Dionysius and match referee Steve Davis about the weather during the WBBL match between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder at Adelaide Oval, on November 28, 2025, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images) Getty
"Disappointed," Litchfield told Fox Sports. "It's a shame … it's pretty disappointing."
Former Thunder captain Callum Ferguson, who was commentating on the game, added: "I'm absolutely blown away. It's actually embarrassing for the game. I cannot believe we've gone through what we did, what the curating staff did out there to get us ready for the contest was extraordinary, and stuff we haven't seen before.
"They were dumping water left, right and centre, getting the Super Soppers out there manually and cleaning up.
"To go through all of that and play through so much rain in those 10 overs, to then get to the point where we're within one strike of getting a result in this fixture, with all the fans in the stands, all the fans watching around the country, I'm disappointed for so many people in this situation, it's really disappointing to see the game let itself down like this."
The commentary team also labelled the decision a "joke" and "farcical".
"That is an utter embarrassment that's taken place here," commentator Alistair Nicholson said.
"There is not a drop of rain at the moment. That game was within a whisker of being determined, the result was completely clear, and the Sydney Thunder have been robbed of victory."
