WBBL wrap: Renegades topple Stars in Super Over

Melbourne Renegades beat the Melbourne Stars by four runs in a Super Over

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By Laura Jolly at Showground Stadium

Melbourne Renegades needed a Super Over to do it but have claimed a stunning upset victory over the previously undefeated Melbourne Stars at Showground Stadium.

With the match tied after 40 overs, Renegades big-hitters Lizelle Lee (15 off 5) and Courtney Webb (1 off 1) hit 16 runs from Stars quick Natalie Sciver’s over.

In reply, spinner Sophie Molineux restricted Meg Lanning (2) and Mignon du Preez (10) to 12, sealing the Renegades’ second win of WBBL|06 and inflicting the Stars’ first defeat.

Chasing a hefty target of 166, the bottom-of-the-table Renegades had looked down and out at 3-45 with their best three batters all back in the shed, before Courtney Webb hammered 54 not out from 33 balls tie the game.

Webb, whose blitz included three sixes, had looked poised to carry her team to victory before the Stars fought back with two outstanding death overs.

With the Renegading needing 11 from the 12 balls, Stars captain Meg Lanning threw the ball to strike weapon Sciver, who leaked just three runs and claimed a wicket.

Charged with bowling the final over, 17-year-old Tess Flintoff stared down Webb, and two from the final ball sent the game to a Super Over.

Earlier, off-spinner Molly Strano trapped Elyse Villani lbw to claim her 100th WBBL wicket, becoming the first player to reach the milestone.

Lanning continued her strong tournament, racing to 41 from 29 deliveries, but her onslaught was halted when she too was given out lbw, to former Star Makinley Blows.

In-form imports Mignon du Preez and Sciver carried on the attack, but both were removed in the space of four deliveries once 17-year-old off-spinner Ella Hayward entered the fray.

Hayward, who collected 4-16 from her four-over spell, bowled Sciver for 24 and she had du Preez caught at deep mid-wicket on 40 four balls later.

Hayward collected two more in the space of two balls in her final over, deceiving Erin Osborne and Tess Flintoff with superbly flighted deliveries, ‘keeper Josie Dooley whipping off the bails on both occasions.

The Stars were 7-134 with two overs remaining, but their batting depth came to the fore when Alana King hammered four maximums, with her 12-ball 27 carrying her team to 8-165.

Brisbane Heat beat the Hobart Hurricanes by 10 wickets with 50 balls remaining

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By Sam Ferris at Drummoyne Oval

The Brisbane Heat continued their surge up the WBBL|06 ladder with a third-straight win after hammering the Hobart Hurricanes at Drummoyne Oval.

An all-round bowling effort by Brisbane dismissed the Hurricanes for just 82 before the Heat comfortably acquired the victory target with 10 wickets in hand and 50 balls to spare.

Heat skipper Jess Jonassen picked up 2-8 from three overs while opening batter Georgia Redmayne top-scored in pursuit with an unbeaten 61 with nine boundaries.

The win lifted the Heat up to third on the WBBL ladder, level with the two Sydney clubs on 10 competition points but ahead on Net Run Rate after getting a huge boost from this comprehensive win against Hobart.

Hobart remain a win outside the top four and can still make the finals but will need to win most, if not all, of their remaining four matches.

Having won bat flip and elected to bat, the Hurricanes started well to be 0-25 after three overs. But the introduction of Jonassen's left-arm finger spin changed the course of the match.

Jonassen bowled in-form opener Rachel Priest for 14 to open the floodgates. Hobart lost 10-57, with all seven bowlers used picking up at least one wicket.

Off-spinner Charli Knott collected her first WBBL wicket – a brilliant spinning delivery to bowl Sasha Maloney that Australia's GOAT offie Nathan Lyon would be proud to call his own.

In reply the Heat were cautious as they reached to 0-21 by the end of the six-over powerplay.

But with the field back, Redmayne took 15-year-old spinner Amy Smith for 11 runs in the seventh over, with another 11 runs coming from the next over bowled by Hayley Mathews. 

Redmayne was quick in reaching her half-century from 28 balls, but the left-hander was dropped three times – twice by Smith and once by Belinda Vakarewa, who spilled a chance over the rope and threw her hat and kicked the white picket fence in frustration. All three catches were dropped off the bowling of Nicola Carey.

Grace Harris provided support with 23no and hit the winning runs in the 12th over to complete the comprehensive victory.

Adelaide Strikers beat Sydney Sixers by 14 runs

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By Sam Ferris at Drummoyne Oval

The Adelaide Strikers have kept their Rebel WBBL finals hopes alive with a gutsy win over the Sydney Sixers, who lost Ashleigh Gardner due to concussion and was unable to bat.

Defending 8-119, a total that looked unlikely at 6-56, the Strikers restricted the Sixers to just 9-105 to inflict a fourth-straight loss on the two-time champions.

Strikers skipper Megan Schutt was outstanding with 3-7 from her four overs, while contributions from Tegan McPharlin (41no), Katie Mack (29) and Amanda-Jade Wellington (1-11 from four) delivered the important win following yesterday's loss to the Heat.

More worrying than the defeat for the Sixers was the loss of Gardner, who was subbed out due to concussion following a jarring dive in the deep attempting to save four runs in the eighth over of Adelaide's innings.

Gardner took no further part in the match, subbed out for Maddy Darke, who made one batting at No.7.

The win means the Strikers temporarily move to fifth place to be just one point behind the fourth-placed Sixers, who were undefeated through their first six games but now find themselves with four wins, four losses and two no results.

The Strikers looked set to be bundled out for a double-digit score after skipper Ellyse Perry collected career best WBBL figures of 3-14.

But an inspiring cameo of 41 from 26 balls by McPharlin lifted the Strikers to a competitive total on a spicy wicket that still showed signs of the inconsistent bounce that featured in yesterday's match.

The Sixers' pursuit started with a reprieve when Alyssa Healy was dropped by Sarah Coyte on naught but the wicketkeeper-batter could not make the most of it, out for five to Australia teammate Schutt in the third over.

The Strikers kept the clamps on throughout the pursuit with a frugal bowling display, keeping Perry to 14 from 30 balls before she was bowled through the gate from a beauty by Coyte.

The disciplined bowled was supported by a sound performance in the field, most notably by Mack, who affected two run outs.

Erin Burns (28) kept the Sixers in the hunt but the task was too great as the Strikers completed a 14-run win.

Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Thunder by 34 runs

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By Laura Jolly at Sydney Showgrounds

The Perth Scorchers have posted a fourth-straight win to strengthen their position in the top four, cruising to a 34-run win over the Sydney Thunder.

However, they now face a nervous wait on the fitness of superstar skipper Sophie Devine, who left the field on Sunday following the final ball of her third over with what appeared to be a back injury.

Clubs will play another four matches across the next seven days to round out the regular season, leaving little time for recovery.

Devine, who took 2-12, had earlier been the main contributor for the Scorchers for the bat, hitting a 44-ball 45 in their innings of 8-131.

With the Thunder seeking to bounce back after consecutive defeats, captain Rachael Haynes promoted herself to join Tammy Beaumont at the top of the order.

However, Beaumont’s struggles continued when she was caught behind for one in the opening over of the chase, and Haynes scored just six before a superb swinging delivery from Taneale Peschel rattled her stumps.

A sharp catch from Lauren Down sent Phoebe Litchfield on her way for four, leaving the Thunder 3-28 at the end of the Powerplay.

England star Heather Knight loomed as the key to their chase but when she holed out to an outstanding catch from Nicole Bolton on 44, the wheels came off.

The Thunder lost 5-16 to be bowled out for 97, off-spinner Bolton finishing with 3-13 while leg-spinner Sarah Glenn (1-18) was also economical.

Earlier, Beth Mooney (26) made a speedy start, hitting a six from the first delivery she faced. But after being tied down by the Thunder spinners, she chipped a catch to a diving Tammy Beaumont.

Chloe Piparo continued to impress at first drop with a 25-ball 30, but after she fell to Thunder young gun Hannah Darlington, the middle-order failed to fire.

Darlington continued to impress fresh off dismissing Australia captain Meg Lanning on Saturday night, finishing her four overs with 3-21, while left-arm spinner Sam Bates (2-20) took her season wickets tally to 12.

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