Sutherland steers Stars to first win of WBBL|08

Melbourne Stars have sealed their first win of Weber WBBL|08, taking bragging rights over crosstown rivals the Renegades by six wickets in Ballarat.

The WBBL made a long-awaited return to Victoria after a three-year, 1000-plus day absence, and it was the Stars who walked away with much-needed points, with left-arm spinner Sophie Day claiming a career-best 4-19 and Annabel Sutherland 3-17 to help bowl the Renegades out for 91 in 19 overs.

Sutherland (42no off 48) then led the way with the bat as the Stars reached their target with 15 balls to spare.

Renegades new-ball pair Sophie Molineux and Shabnim Ismail applied plenty of pressure early and were rewarded when a mix-up saw Jemimah Rodrigues run out for eight, before opening partner Lauren Winfield-Hill edged a sharp catch to second slip.

But Sutherland and Alice Capsey (19) steadied to chip away at their meagre target, with the latter’s dismissal in the 12th over and Kim Garth’s five-ball duck not enough to stop the Stars sealing their first win of WBBL|08.

It leaves the Renegades, who finished the regular season second last year, on the bottom of the table after five matches and needing a drastic reversal in form to keep their finals hopes alive. The Stars’ breakthrough win came after narrow defeats to Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat.

The arrival of Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu did little to aid the Renegades’ recent struggles with the bat, scoring fewer runs than the 95 the Hobart Hurricanes managed in 12 overs in the earlier reduced-overs match.

Sent in by the Stars, Renegades captain Molineux departed first ball when she was caught behind off the bowling of Garth.

Georgia Prestwidge was promoted to No.3 in a surprise move and she joined Hayley Matthews in a 37-run stand, but with the Stars applying plenty pressure she holed out to Tess Flintoff in the deep.

West Indies captain Matthews looked ominous, hitting three boundaries before she was handed a life on 24, but it did not cost the Stars at all as she chipped a simple return catch to Sutherland next ball.

Athapaththu ground her way to a 25-ball 17 but never showed the sort of flair that has become her trademark in Sri Lanka colours, and while Carly Leeson (15) hit the sole six of the Renegades innings there were few contributions from the remainder of the batting line-up, with Day rolling through the lower order of Courtney Webb (2), Ellie Falconer (4) and Erica Kershaw (4).

Day’s 4-19 was her best return in her WBBL career, continuing on the good form that saw her pick up her maiden five-for in domestic one-day cricket earlier this month.

The Ballarat action continues as the Renegades, searching for their second win of the season, take on the top-of-the-table Sydney Sixers on Sunday, while the Stars will host the Thunder on Monday.

Tickets for Weber WBBL and KFC BBL games are on sale now. Get yours at cricket.com.au/big-bash