Stars and Strikers win, but concerns for Aussie leggie

Melbourne Stars have pulled off a Weber WBBL|07 boilover, upsetting the previously undefeated Sydney Sixers by 30 runs.

Annabel Sutherland outshone her more experienced teammates in the Stars top-order, scoring a 50-ball 57 to help her team to 3-139, before Irish quick Kim Garth (3-17), teenage pace bowler Tess Flintoff (2-23) and English spinner Linsey Smith (1-15) kept their star-studded rivals to 8-109.

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Garth struck a crucial blow with the third ball of the Sixers' chase, removing Shafali Verma for a duck.

Flintoff copped some early stick from Ashleigh Gardner but left-arm spinner Smith combined with Garth to turn the screws, the pressure paying off when Alyssa Healy hit out off the bowling of Sutherland.

Gardner and captain Ellyse Perry steadied and looked well-set to steer the chase against a relatively inexperienced Stars attack, but their 32-run stand was broken when Gardner failed to clear the inner ring after taking on the Stars' other left-arm spinner Sophie Day.

The Sixers' long-batting order still had them favoured to find a way home, but when Flintoff struck twice in as many balls, bowling Nicole Bolton (8) before Maitlan Brown (0) was caught behind, the Sydney club was 5-81 and all the momentum was with the Stars.

The required run rate soared above 11 and Lanning continued to rotate between the pace of Sutherland and Flintoff, and the left-arm spin of Smith and Day, with Perry unable to find a way to accelerate.

With the game already beyond her reach, she eventually holed out in the deep for a 43-ball 40 in the final over.

Earlier, Sutherland shone with bat in hand after Villani (10) and Lanning (10) both departed cheaply, with English batter Maia Bouchier (21no from 25) and Garth (24no from 21) playing the support roles. 

The win was the Stars' first of the season, and will lift spirits ahead of their clash with Brisbane Heat in Launceston on Saturday, while the Sixers will look to bounce back in the Sydney derby later the same day.

Concerns for Wareham after Strikers beat Renegades

Tahlia McGrath's outstanding run of form has continued for Adelaide Strikers in the Weber WBBL, while Melbourne Renegades are sweating on a potentially serious knee injury to star leg-spinner Georgia Wareham.

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McGrath hit an unbeaten 50 from 39 deliveries as the Strikers chased the Renegades' 6-126 with eight wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare, capping a dominant all-round performance by the team in blue.

But the game was overshadowed by a potential serious injury to Australia star Wareham, who fell awkwardly while attempting to change direction in the field in the 12th over of Adelaide's chase.

Wareham immediately clutched her left knee and pounded the turf with her fist, spending several minutes on the ground before she was able to limp from the field with assistance.

Earlier, the Renegades' decision to bat first backfired as the Strikers attack led by speedster Darcie Brown (1-16 from four overs) and Sarah Coyte (3-20 from four) helped restrict their deep batting order to 7-126.

The top order of Sophie Molineux (9), Jemimah Rodrigues (13) and Courtney Webb (1) were removed inside the first 10 overs for little impact, before imports Harmanpreet Kaur (41 from 37) and Eve Jones (36no from 29) added crucial runs.

The Strikers made light work of the chase, with Dane van Niekerk slamming seven boundaries in a 14-ball 29 to get them off to a flier, before countrywoman Laura Wolvaardt (36no) and McGrath iced victory.