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BBL boss Alistair Dobson has revealed the umpires at the centre of the controversial finish to the Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers game in the women's league have admitted they got it wrong. There was uproar around the cricket world on Friday night when the Thunder were cruelled by the umpires' decision with just three runs needed for victory.
Rain wreaked havoc on the WBBL match, which was reduced to five overs per side after the ground staff worked tirelessly to get the Adelaide Oval in a playable condition. Set 46 runs to win in five overs, the Thunder reached 0-43 in 2.5 overs thanks to Phoebe Litchfield's 38 from 15 balls.
The Thunder only needed three runs off 13 balls to win, but the umpires made the extraordinary decision at that point to abandon the game. Those at the ground said it wasn't raining any heavier than it was when the umpires convened in the previous over and decided to continue.
Because the game was already past the cut-off time, it couldn't be continued after play was stopped and the Thunder were denied the points. Callum Ferguson, Katey Martin and Alister Nicholson all described it as an "embarrassment" for the game while in commentary for Channel 7.
And speaking on Sunday, the league's general manager Dobson admitted the umpires got it wrong amid an incredibly tricky situation. Dobson revealed on Channel 7 that the umpires have acknowledged the game should have been played out once it got so close to a result.
"The safety of our players is always paramount," Dobson said on Sunday. "Our umpires are always advised to come off a ball early rather than a ball late when it comes to the safety of our players. So they did a great job there.
"Having conducted their post-game review, two things stood out. One is – they probably should have come off earlier in the game, when Darcy Brown was bowling the prior over. That was the moment they probably should have come off.
"And then at that point – having committed to the game – the umpires have reviewed it and on reflection should have seen the game out from there. Particularly with the game drawing quickly to a conclusion.
"With that said, it was a challenging situation. Managing weather and a cricket game is not a black-and-white scenario. There'a a lot of subjectivity and analysis the umpires and match referee have to do on the run. It was a tough, high-pressure situation. It was a great job to get the game started, and on review they probably should have got it finished."
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Nicholson had said on Channel 7: "That is an utter embarrassment that’s taken place here. There is not a drop of rain at the moment, that game was within a whisker of being determined and the result was completely clear and the Sydney Thunder have been robbed of victory."
Ferguson said: "I’m absolutely blown away. It’s actually embarrassing for the game. I’m absolutely flabbergasted right now. It’s unacceptable in my eyes. I cannot believe we’ve gone through what we did."
Thunder captain Litchfield told Channel 7: "It’s a shame. The fact that we got on and it was a really entertaining game…it’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t have a full game.
“Both the Strikers and us needed a win so we were pretty keen to get the two points. The ground staff did an amazing job to get the ground up and running. For all that work, it’s disappointing to not get a result. It’s cricket at the end of the day. It’s a weird game we play."
There have been some suggestions the Thunder could be awarded the points and are considering a protest. But Dobson said that hasn't been discussed.
🗣️ "At that point, having committed to the game, the umpires have reviewed it and on reflection should have seen the game out from there."
– Big Bash Leagues GM Alistair Dobson on the rain-affected end of Thunder-Strikers pic.twitter.com/cDuWKPSTs3
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 30, 2025
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