Thunder flex WBBL muscle with big win over Renegades

Hannah Darlington has led the Thunder to a 37-run WBBL win over the Renegades, taking 4-33. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

The Sydney Thunder have staked their claim as genuine WBBL contenders after cruising to a 37-run win over the Melbourne Renegades.

In one of the most complete performances of the WBBL season so far, Heather Knight starred with the bat as the Thunder hit their way to 5-190 in Melbourne.

Hannah Darlington then claimed 4-33 with the ball, taking the sting out of the Renegades chase at the halfway point before the hosts reached 7-153.

The win is the Thunder's third in four games, after finishing last and winning only once last summer.

But this is evidently a new Thunder side.

English allrounder Heather Knight blasted an unbeaten 52 against the Renegades in Melbourne.

After belting 80 from 54 ball against her old club the Renegades last week in Sydney, recruit Chamari Athapaththu set the tone again with 32 from 26.

The Sri Lankan opener hit five boundaries and a big six off Georgia Wareham in her innings, which formed part of a 67-run opening stand with Tahlia Wilson (30).

Young gun Phoebe Litchfield also struck 27 from 19 balls, before Knight came to the wicket and hit a 28-ball half-century before finishing 52 not out.

The Renegades were sloppy at times in the field, but the fact the Thunder were able to add 104 from their last 10 overs is a sign of the Sydney team's form.

Dominant with the bat, the Thunder were then clinical with the ball at Junction Oval.

Marizanne Kapp took 2-23 as she claimed the key wickets of overseas imports Hayley Matthews (eight) and Harmanpreet Kaur (13), while Darlington's four-wicket haul marked her best in the WBBL.

Hannah Darlington turned in the best figures of her WBBL career in the Thunder's Renegades win.

An Australian representative as a 19-year-old in 2021 before injuries took hold, Darlington bowled Courtney Webb (13) with her first ball that angled in and seamed away.

She also had English marquee Tammy Beaumont (37) caught at mid off, before bowling Georgia Prestwidge next ball with one that tailed in at her.

Only Wareham gave the Renegades any faint hope with the bat with 25 off 11 balls, but she was eventually caught on the boundary off Darlington as well.

And while Sarah Coyte provided some late fireworks with 30 off 20 balls, the Renegades remain on one win from their opening five games.