WBBL Round-up: Superstars shine on chaotic day

Lanning notches fifty in Stars' win

The Sydney Sixers were left to rue missed chances as a third successive 50 from Meg Lanning guided home the Melbourne Stars to make it three wins from three.

Defending a below-par score of 101, Sixers’ captain Ellyse Perry almost delivered the perfect start when she had Lanning caught at backward point in the third over.

But to the dismay of Perry and the home-crowd, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars allrounder had overstepped the mark and a no-ball, not a wicket, entered the score book.

Perry did finally get Lanning’s wicket, but by that point the Stars had two runs to win and Lanning and her opening partner Katie Mack had done the damage.

Lanning (58) and Mack (38no) put on 100 runs together as the Stars chased down the required target just one wicket down.

It was an accomplished batting display to back up a disciplined bowling one, which had been spearheaded by the Southern Stars’ leggie Kristen Beams.

Beams continued her impressive form in the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League, adding four wickets to her five from the first two matches.

After a relatively quiet Ashes tour, Beams is showing why she’s so highly rated, not only picking up regular wickets but also bowling economically.

Only 11 runs came off her four overs and the nature of the wickets - two bowled, one lbw and one stumped - were indicative of her pin-point accuracy and dangerous late dip.

Beams was ably supported by clinical fielding display too, two run-outs stemming from a period of tight bowling between Beams and left-arm seamer Gemma Triscari.

Perry will likely be boosted by her own batting form today after anchoring the Sixers’ innings with a composed 45, which included a hefty six over long on.

However, aside from Perry’s innings and some lower-order power-hitting from Angela Reakes (22no), the Sixers’ batting woes continue with no other batter reaching double figures.

Perry appears to retain confidence in her batting line-up, having elected to bat first on the four occasions she has won the toss but a change of tack may be in the offing as the Sydney side now remain winless in the WBBl after five straight losses.

Blackwell and Taylor repel Adelaide’s strike force

The inaugural Rebel Women’s Big Bash League continues to throw up all manner of surprises after the Adelaide Strikers, a team fresh off the back of an historic WNCL title with South Australia, continued their winless run in the tournament, which has now stretched to three matches. 

The Strikers could only muster 9-103 in their unsuccessful bid to chase down Sydney Thunder’s total of 121 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

The Thunder enjoyed another comfortable win built from a strong batting platform, with familiar names Stafanie Taylor and Alex Blackwell once again doing the damage. From her two matches to date, the West Indian Taylor is proving a successful signing for the Sydney outfit, backing up her first knock of 59no against the Sixers with a composed 30 at more than a run-a-ball today.

While Taylor did eventually fall, lbw to leg-spinner Amanda Wellington, Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars vice-captain Blackwell moved from support act to centre stage this time around, backing up last outing’s 29no with an unbeaten 44 today.

In reply, the Strikers got off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets in three balls in the second over. After Bridget Patterson was caught behind for a duck, the dangerous Sarah Taylor was run out two balls later for two, with skipper Lauren Ebsary departing the following over, also without scoring.

A rallying middle-order partnership between New Zealander Sophie Devine (29) and Tegan McPharlin (25) looked to spark some life into the beleaguered Strikers, but line and length from Southern Star Rene Farrell (3-23) put paid to that cameo. 

The Thunder rumble on with two wins from two, whereas the Strikers, like the Renegades and Sixers before them today, are still searching for an elusive first win.

Heat make it four in a row

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Beth Mooney was again in fine form // Getty Images

The Beth Mooney - Grace Harris show is fast becoming the talk of the tournament after the duo’s opening stand of 65 set a healthy platform to guide the Brisbane Heat to an emphatic 27-run win over the Melbourne Renegades.

Following three opening losses, the Queensland outfit have bounced back to win four on the trot as they continue their upward spiral in the inaugural Rebel Women’s Big Bash League.

In the past four matches, Mooney and Harris have put on 353 runs together, including one century to Harris and two fifties for Mooney. A key feature of both Mooney and Harris’ knocks is not just the quantity of runs, but their strike-rate.

Harris kicked off proceedings in typically aggressive fashion today, bombing a straight six over long-off in just the fifth over of the match, while Mooney’s half-century included 10 boundaries.

The Renegades’ varied spin-heavy attack tried everything to stem the flow – off-spin was followed by left-arm seam which was followed by left-arm orthodox, then right-arm seam, then leg-spin as captain Sarah Elliott rotated her bowlers in one-over spells.

The introduction of Danni Wyatt’s dart-like off-spin in the fifth over eventually put paid to Harris for 29, with the English allrounder finishing with figures of 2-21 off her four overs.

Mooney’s destructive path towards a top score of 64 continued undeterred, however, and with a useful, undefeated knock of 25 by Lauren Winfield the Heat’s total of 151 looked a tough call for the Renegades, whose previous highest tournament total was 121.

The Renegades got off to the worst possible start, losing both Rachel Priest and Wyatt in their first over, while England international Kate Cross claimed a double-wicket maiden in her first over.

A defiant captain’s knock of 49 not out by Elliott was the only highlight for the Melbourne side as they continue their pursuit of a first win in the WBBL.