Perth Scorchers took out a final-over low-scoring thriller against Melbourne Stars to post their third win from as many matches
Match Report:
ScorecardScorchers survive major scare to see off Stars
Perth Scorchers have survived a major score against Melbourne Stars at the WACA Ground, sneaking home in a thriller to remain unbeaten in Weber WBBL|08.
A strong bowling effort restricted the Stars to 9-110, but a fighting display from the Melbourne attack had the hosts in deep trouble at 7-74 in the 16th over.
Needing 37 off 27, No.7 Amy Edgar (21 off 21) and No.9 Piepa Cleary (13no off 11) held their nerve to guide the Scorchers home by two wickets with two balls to spare.
It was the Scorcher’s third win from as many games, while the winless Stars fell agonisingly short for a second time in three matches.
Kim Garth had given Melbourne the perfect start when she had Scorchers skipper Sophie Devine caught behind for a duck, then bowled first drop Chloe Piparo for one.
Tess Flintoff knocked over New Zealand batter Maddy Green (14), Rhys McKenna had Marizanne Kapp (1) caught behind with her first ball, then Sasha Moloney bowled key batter Beth Mooney (35 off 44) to put the Stars right on top.
But some wayward bowling from the Stars, and the efforts of Edgar and Cleary, during a 26-run Power Surge saw Perth wrest back momentum and maintain their perfect record in WBBL|08.
Earlier, Devine sent the Stars in to bat first on a green WACA wicket and the decision immediately paid off when Taneale Peschel got English opener Lauren Winfield-Hill caught behind with the first delivery of the match.
She nearly had fellow English batter Alice Capsey caught at slip with her next ball – only for the chance to go down at slip – but the right-armer did not have to wait long for her second, striking in her next over to have India star Jemimah Rodrigues out for a five-ball duck.
Capsey found the boundary twice but was dismissed by Devine for 11.
Annabel Sutherland (31) put up some resistance and was fortunate to survive an eyebrow-raising DRS process when she reviewed after being given out lbw in the ninth over.
The technology appeared to show a faint nick on UltraEdge as the ball passed the bat, but the television umpire deemed it inconclusive, moving onto the ball-tracking phase of the DRS process.
That showed the delivery to be missing the stumps, ensuring Sutherland had a second chance – albeit a short-lived one, before she holed out to the bowling of Lilly Mills the next over.
The Stars crumbled to 7-55 in the 12th over, but an inspiring cameo from 19-year-old allrounder Tess Flintoff (40no off 29) helped the Stars to 9-110.
Piepa Cleary (2-8), Mills (2-15) and Peschel (2-34) were the multiple wicket takers for the Scorchers, who will play the winless Sydney Thunder at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
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