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9 The Melbourne Stars have won their first back-to-back WBBL games in two seasons, with a tight and entertaining seven-wicket win over the Adelaide Strikers under lights at Sydney’s Blacktown International Sportspark.
As last year’s wooden spooners, the Stars sent last year’s runners-up into bat.
The Strikers are still trying to determine their best opening batting combination, with last year’s combo gone, captain Suzie Bates injured and Sophie Devine departed.
Against the Stars they retried the Tahlia McGrath/Katie Mack pairing, but Mack was gone in the second over, out LBW, so perhaps they’re still searching.
It was left to McGrath and South African import Laura Wolvaardt to build a partnership.
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Initially they struggled to pierce the Stars’ field and were forced into quick singles, but with the runrate at less than a run-a-ball at the halfway mark, they had to up the ante.
Enter Wolvaardt’s straight bat which sent consecutive Sophie Day deliveries over the rope, helping guide the Strikers to 6-154 at the end of their 20 overs.
The decent total proved a nailbiter for the Stars, who – led by captain Meg Lanning 69 (57 balls) and Mignon du Preez 31 (26) – chased down the total with only two balls to spare.
Moment of the match
Stars’ opening batter Elyse Villani set the tone for the chase early, hitting three boundaries in the fourth over off the bowling of Sarah Coyte and remarkably gave the same treatment to Stafanie Taylor in the next.
Her stunning innings came to an end, caught at deep mid-wicket on 43 (28 balls).
Knock of the match
Sure, Villani and Lanning’s innings were impressive, but recognition is due to Striker Wolvaardt, who knocked together her second half-century of WBBL06 making 68 (50), including four sixes and three fours.
Her innings was crucial to the Strikers going from 1-54 at the 10-over mark, to then going at 10 runs an over from there.
Best bowling spell
As Wolvaardt began building momentum, she needed a partner at the other end.
Stars legspinner Alana King made sure that wasn’t going to happen easily, bowling McGrath (33 from 42 balls) in the 14th over and then having Bridget Patterson caught for a duck two balls later.
That 14th over saw King take 2/1.
Quote of the day
Strikers injured captain Suzie Bates on new teammate Laura Wolvaardt: “I’m a little bit envious because she’s a really good singer…she’s great to have around the group.”
Glades blown away as Hurricanes break duck
The Hobart Hurricanes have notched their first win of the Women’s Big Bash League season by hammering Melbourne Renegades by nine wickets on a slow Blacktown International Sportspark pitch.
Two Hurricane bowlers found themselves on hat-tricks as the Renegades succumbed to just 81. Hobart reached the target with seven overs still in hand.
The Renegades lost opener Sophie Molineux in the first over off Belinda Vakarewa and never looked likely, providing few highlights and only three shots that made it to the ropes.
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A difficult total to defend wasn’t helped by misfields that allowed some shots to sneak through to the boundary.
But that shouldn’t take away from Hobart’s all-round team performance that included opener Naomi Stalenberg bringing up her 1000th WBBL run.
In further bad news for the Renegades, bowler Maitlan Brown couldn’t complete the game after injuring herself while batting.
Moment of the match
She’s only 15 but Hurricanes legspinner Amy Smith showed composure beyond her years when she was brought in for the ninth over. At this point, the Renegades were sitting on 1-30, with power-hitter Lizelle Lee on 19 and looking to create some momentum. But Smith had other ideas, trapping Lee leg before with her first ball. It was not only Smith’s first-ever WBBL wicket but a key dismissal that triggered a flurry of wickets.
Knock of the match
Kiwi international Rachel Priest made the move from Melbourne Stars to the Hurricanes in the off-season and was in need of finding some batting form after scores of 0, 16* and 0 this season. Priest made her intent known early, whacking back-to-back boundaries in the first over. She finished with 34 (32 balls).
Bowling spell of the match
Hayley Matthews was on a hat-trick in the 11th over after she had Courtney Webb caught on four (five balls) and Amy Satterthwaite bowled (20 from 28).
Then Sasha Moloney got into the action in the 18th over when Carly Leeson was caught at deep mid-wicket Maitlan Brown was bowled. They finished with figures of 2-9 and 2-12 respectively.
English (United States)