Darlington's five-fa helps Thunder seal tense win

Hannah Darlington has bagged her first five-wicket haul to crash Meg Lanning's retirement party and help the Sydney Thunder go top of the Weber WBBL ladder with a four-run win over the Melbourne Stars.

Darlington claimed 5-10 at North Sydney Oval on Friday, as the Thunder defended 125 by containing the Stars to 9-121 in reply.

The figures are the best of any bowler this season, and only second to Megan Schutt's 6-10 for the greatest by a quick in WBBL history.

Darlington's wickets included Stars captain Lanning, who was caught behind for 19 the day after announcing her shock retirement from international cricket.

Lanning had looked set to guide the Stars to a much-needed victory, showing off her trademark cut shots and guiding the ball outside off stump with ease.

But when she edged a cut shot off Darlington through to wicketkeeper Tahlia Wilson, the Stars chase was suddenly in serious trouble.

Some late hitting from No.11 Milly Illingworth (14no from eight) got the equation down to nine off the last over, before Thunder spinner Chamari Athapaththu held her nerve to finish the game with a dot ball when five runs were required.

Lanning has set no end-date on her franchise Twenty20 career and has another two seasons to run on her Stars contract after this one, but her club now needs to see the very best of her over the final five games of this tournament.

Sitting seventh on the ladder, they will likely need to win all of those matches to make the finals.

Darlington was the catalyst for the Thunder's win.

She got England star Alice Capsey caught behind for 27, before dismissing Annabel Sutherland in the same fashion.

The 21-year-old also bowled the ball of the day to dismiss Kim Garth for a golden duck, jagging it back from outside off stump to take middle and leg.

And just as the Stars looked set to work their way into the game, Darlington had Maia Bouchier caught on the legside boundary for 23.

Having made her Australia debut at 19, Darlington is now pressing for her first national selection in two years after taking 13 wickets in her last four WBBL games.

Her work with the ball came after the Thunder looked down and out.

Only Heather Knight's 45 helped the host's innings stay afloat, after they slumped from 0-30 to 3-39 early and were always rebuilding.

Teenager Rhys McKenna (3-18), in particular, bowled superbly for the Stars, while Sutherland took 3-22.

The Thunder's victory moves them back ahead of Adelaide in first place, with six wins from seven games, after collecting the wooden spoon last season.

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