Phoebe Litchfield is growing with confidence and the Sydney Thunder is too.
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The defending WBBL champions, the Thunder dropped its first four games of this summer's tournament but bounced back to form in a big way over the weekend.
The Thunder knocked off the Melbourne Stars and then Hobart Hurricanes in back-to-back games, Litchfield scoring more freely in both fixtures at No.3 and looms as a key player at the top of the order for the lime greens as they head to Adelaide for the next part of the tournament.
The 18-year-old Kinross Wolaroi student hit 49 from 42 balls against the Stars, combining brilliantly with fellow young-gun Tahlia Wilson (54 from 54) in a 90-run partnership for the second wicket that propelled the Thunder to its highest total of the summer, 5-133.
The bowlers then did the job, restricting the Stars to 8-114 in reply in a confidence-boosting 19-run win.
And, importantly for the Thunder, the girls in green then backed it up with another impressive win on Sunday.
We'll review this game closely but for us it's just about momentum and keeping up the belief we can beat the good teams.
- Thunder skipper Hannah Darlington
Batting first again, Litchfield was at the crease early once more but it didn't deter her, smacking 31 off 25 - including a six over long-off - in the win over Hobart.
She provided the perfect foil for import Smriti Mandhana (50 off 50) in a vital 70-run stand for the second wicket.
Some late-over hitting lifted the Thunder to 6-146 and the Hurricanes effectively then limped through 20 overs to end the match at 8-109.
Litchfield is the Thunder's leading run scorer this WBBL campaign, with 134 from six innings at a clip over 22.
The Thunder's 37-run win over Hobart doesn't lift the club off the bottom of the WBBL07 ladder, but it does lift them to five competitions points.
As of Sunday lunchtime five clubs - the Strikers, Hurricanes, Stars, Sixers and the Thunder - were all on five points.
Thunder skipper Hannah Darlington said the difference between those sides and her's is pretty simple.
"Momentum," she said in a post-game interview after the win over Hobart.
"We'll review this game closely but for us it's just about momentum and keeping up the belief we can beat the good teams."
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