'Terrible to watch': Aussie cricket fans stunned by 'awful' incident
WBBL viewers were left stunned on Tuesday night when Adelaide Strikers star Maddie Penna was left writhing on the field in agony after a nasty incident.
Penna was forced to leave the field during her side's clash with the Sydney Thunder after being struck in the face by the ball.
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The 21-year-old was fielding at point when she dived to try and stop a cut shot hit by Tahlia Wilson.
Unfortunately for Penna the ball took a funny bounce off the centre square and hit her directly in the face.
The Strikers star stayed down for a number of minutes while being attended to by medical staff, with Penna in obvious pain.
"She looks to have really hurt herself ... she looks in agony," commentator Adam Peacock said.
"That's awful. There is no way in the world she could've done anything about that."
Michelle Goszko added: "That's terrible to watch."
"We felt that. It's not a nice thing to happen ... I got hit in the face a couple of times.
"We just hope Maddie is OK ... it's just awful when that happens."
Penna was forced to leave the field for further treatment.
Maddie Penna 😭😭 that is about as unlucky and as nasty a bounce as it comes. I do hope she's okay, the ball has hit her flush #WBBL07
— Davis Harrigan (Digi) 🏏 (@DeadlineDavis) November 9, 2021
Hoping Maddie is ok! ❤️ https://t.co/vgoG8kLs18
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 9, 2021
Strikers pour more pain on Sydney Thunder
The Strikers took care of the Thunder by 18 runs after making 4-176 - their biggest total of this season's tournament.
South African stars Dane Van Niekerk and Laura Wolvaardt did the damage with some spectacular hitting.
Opener Van Niekerk came out swinging with 58, before Wolvaardt took it up another notch by compiling 54 from 32 balls.
Despite solid knocks from Wilson (42) and Phoebe Litchfield (40), the Thunder never looked like chasing down the target.
Rising English star Issy Wong did give the Thunder plenty to cheer about late as she produced one of the best cameos of the season.
The 19-year-old went ballistic after coming in at No.5 at the end of the 14th over, smashing six sixes in her 43 from 17 balls.
It capped off an excellent all-round performance from Wong, who bowled two maidens to briefly tie down the Strikers batters.
Meanwhile, a blistering knock from Ashleigh Gardner wasn't enough to give the Sydney Sixers a much-needed victory over the Brisbane Heat.
The Australian all-rounder belted an unbeaten 86 - the second best Twenty20 score of her career - but the Heat were barely troubled in chasing down the Sixers' competitive total of 2-159.
Australian stars Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry struggled for momentum opening the batting, but a late flurry from Gardner, which included five sixes, gave the Sixers something to defend.
But the Heat's top-order, led by opener Grace Harris' 54, all contributed in the eight-wicket win at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide on Tuesday.
with AAP
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