Ladder leaders put stamp on WBBL|07 with thumping wins

Kapp, Devine rip through Hurricanes at the WACA 

A stunning start from Marizanne Kapp and Sophie Devine ripped through the Hobart Hurricanes at the WACA Ground, laying the foundation for a five-wicket win and leaving their rivals season in tatters.

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Kapp took four wickets and Devine grabbed two to leave the Hurricanes reeling at 6-19 inside the first seven overs.

With the Scorchers out to bounce back after falling two runs short against the Hurricanes on Saturday, it started with Kapp's second delivery of the match, which saw her bowl Hurricanes captain Rachel Priest (1) and she followed up with the wicket of Naomi Stalenberg (0) two balls later.

From 2-2 the Hurricanes found themselves 3-8 when Kapp trapped Nicola Carey lbw (5), before Richa Ghosh (0) was bowled by Devine.

Molly Strano was promoted to No.6 but her stay lasted just three balls as she became Kapp's fourth victim, and Devine captured the key wicket of Mignon du Preez (4) to leave the Hobart club 6-19.

The Hurricanes looked in serious danger of missing the all-time record low score of 66, but teenage allrounder Ruth Johnston (38 from 40) and Sasha Moloney (15 from 20) fought admirably to rebuild the innings, helping their side to 96 all out.

Kapp finished with 4-10, and Devine 2-15, while off-spinner Lilly Mills (3-18) rose to the top of the league wicket tally as she cleaned up the tail.

Tayla Vlaeminck (3-21) picked up the big wickets of Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine in reply, with Mooney chopping on for six before Devine (11) was bowled by a superb delivery.

Vlaeminck collected a third when Chamari Athapaththu (18) was adjudged lbw, but Chloe Pipao's 33-ball 29 steered the Scorchers towards their target, before Kapp fittingly hit the winning runs with a boundary with 27 balls to spare.

Kaur, Molineux put the Stars in a spin in Melbourne derby

The Melbourne Renegades have dismantled hometown rivals Melbourne Stars by seven wickets, led by Harmanpreet Kaur’s three-wicket haul and Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 45.

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The Renegades proved why they are the WBBL ladder leaders, as their miserly bowling attack, led by captain Sophie Molineux (2-10) and Kaur (3-22) ripped through the Stars for 103 all out.

Batters Rodrigues (45) and Carly Leeson (41) then sealed the Renegades’ seventh win of the tournament with five overs to spare as they moved two games clear atop the WBBL ladder.

A handy 32 runs off 29 balls and three wickets for Star Kim Garth and 29 runs for Erin Osbourne were not enough to get their side over the line, leaving the club outside the top four with four matches remaining.

The Renegades were in control from the opening over, with captain Molineux at her miserly best, restricting the Stars to just two runs off her two power play overs.

Kaur removed dangerous opener Elyse Villani, caught by Rodrigues at point for one, and Annabel Sutherland fell for nine (off nine) by Ellie Falconer overs later.

Stars captain Meg Lanning looked poised to back up Saturday’s season-best performance of 82, striking three early boundaries, but was bowled by Ella Hayward’s first delivery for 17.

Maia Bouchier was bogged down, scoring just five runs off 16 balls when caught by Molineux at cover.

Garth and Osbourne added crucial runs, with Garth hitting 32 off 24 before being run out, and Osbourne adding 29 before falling to Molineux.

Molineux ended her four overs with two wickets for just 10 runs, continuing a strong season that has seen her bowl the second-most dot balls (98) behind Striker Tahlia McGrath in WBBL|07 so far.

Two Kaur wickets and team hat-trick in the final over kept the Stars to 9-103.

Tess Flintoff bowled Renegades opener Eve Jones for a duck but there was little other joy as Rodrigues (45 off 38) and Leeson cruised.

Leeson, who was elevated to bat at three in place of Courtney Webb, hit a career-best 41 off 33 balls, including five boundaries.

It was small consolation when Garth removed Rodrigues and Leeson with their target in sight, as WBBL|07 leading run scorer Kaur sealed victory with a boundary.

The rivals meet again at Karen Rolton Oval on Thursday.

Redmayne, Poonam star as heat cruise against Thunder

Poonam Yadav was the destroyer with the ball before Georgia Redmayne hit a fifty to see Brisbane Heat claim a convincing five-wicket victory over Sydney Thunder in Adelaide.

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Poonam (3-17) took the key wickets of Smriti Mandhana and Phoebe Litchfield to help restrict the Thunder to 7-143, while Redmayne's 45-ball 57 anchored a chase the Heat completed with 10 balls to spare.

Left-arm spinner Sam Bates took the big wicket of Grace Harris (6) inside the powerplay, but Redmayne was unfazed by the loss of her opening partner, putting on 41 for the second wicket with Georgia Voll.

Voll's charge was ended on 25 when she was bowled by Hannah Darlington, before Redmayne formed another key partnership with Mikayla Hinkley; the pair putting on 59 runs in 6.3 overs as the Heat opener brought up a half-century in 40 balls.

Redmayne worked through the gears flawlessly, and Hinkley signalled her intent when she smacked a maximum off Bates.

Redmayne was caught at long on with 22 runs still required from the final four overs, but any hopes of a fightback were dashed when Laura Kimmince smacked a four and a six off the first two deliveries she faced.

Hinkley (33 off 25) and Kimmince (11 off 6) fell with two runs required, but Anneke Bosch iced victory with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, the Thunder lost opener Tahlia Wilson (4) in the third over after electing to set the Heat a target, but Mandhana and first drop Litchfield came together to put the pressure on the Brisbane attack.

Mandhana had the Thunder flying at 1-51 after the powerplay, before her compatriot Poonam Yadav brought about her undoing with an attempted pull caught at deep-mid-wicket, ending her 24-ball innings on 37, the leg-spinner then trapping Corinne Hall lbw a ball later.

Litchfield looked set for her second fifty of the tournament but also fell victim to Poonam, dismissed for 40 off 32, and the middle-order failed to fire with Deepti Sharma (8), Sammy-Jo Johnson (12) and Anika Learoyd (4) departing cheaply.

Captain Darlington smacked a six over deep mid-wicket in a late, unbeaten 19, carrying her side to 7-143.

The Heat are now clear in second spot ahead of the Sydney Sixers, Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.