‘This is ridiculous’: Strikers' stunning start to title defence

It wasn't only the Australia-wide television audience and cricket followers across the globe who felt the need to question what was unfolding in front of them as Melbourne Stars' imposing batting line-up was skittled for the lowest total in women's professional T20 cricket.

As wickets crashed at barely believable haste with the Stars capitulating for 29 all out in an innings that lasted just 57 legal deliveries, their Adelaide Strikers rivals also struggled to reconcile the scale of the carnage.

"That was the comments we were making out there," Strikers skipper Tahlia McGrath said in the immediate aftermath of her team's 148-run triumph that launched their WBBL title defence in record-breaking style.

"Everyone kept saying 'this is ridiculous, what's happening'.

"It's still a little bit hard to process, but what a way to start off our campaign."

The simple reason the Strikers felt they had entered the realm of fantasy was because the scope of the Stars' collapse was unprecedented.

The lowest previous total in eight seasons of WBBL was the 66 posted respectively by Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes (both in 2017), while the smallest recorded tally in any top-level women's competition before last night was 47 by the Mithali Raj-led Velocity in the T20 Challenge series at Sharjah three years ago.

Despite a top-order that featured Australia duo Meg Lanning and Annabel Sutherland, plus England-capped trio Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey and Maia Bouchier, the star-studded Stars found themselves 5-14 in the fifth over and eyeing a place in domestic cricket infamy.

The Strikers' men's outfit had last summer consigned Sydney Thunder to the lowest score in T20 league cricket history by bowling them out for 16, a record subsequently taken by Isle of Man when rolled for 10 by Spain.

That ignominy was spared when Stars sixth-wicket pair Kim Garth and Nicole Faltum found singles off leg spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, but no sooner had they snuck above that low watermark than the pair fell in successive overs as the electronic scoreboard beamed 7-16, then 8-18.

Hopes in the visitors' dressing room their tailenders might post the first double-figure partnership of the innings evaporated when McGrath mopped up the last two wickets, but the real damage was inflicted by Adelaide's new-look new-ball pairing Anesu Mushangwe and Megan Schutt.

Making just her second WBBL appearance, Zimbabwe-born leggie Mushangwe was informed by her skipper as the Strikers prepared for their bowling innings that she would be taking the opening over ahead of veteran seamer Schutt.

"We really liked her match-up to Meg (Lanning) and Dunks (Dunkley)," McGrath told cricket.com.au.

"She's a real competitor, loves a challenge and loves the fight, and she was ready for it tonight.

"She rocked up, had this look in her eye … and she loves a celebration as well."

Mushangwe had opportunity to uncork her celebratory moves after the 10th ball she sent down, just one delivery after Dunkley lofted her beyond the boundary rope at long-on.

The 27-year-old virtual rookie held her nerve and gave her follow-up offering flight, with Dunkley looking to repeat the blow only to slice a catch to backward point as the euphoric bowler charged the length of the pitch with arms raised in triumph.

Mushangwe, whose only prior WBBL wicket came in her debut game against the Hurricanes at North Sydney Oval last November, claims she wasn't fazed by the prospect of taking on batting superstar Lanning with new ball in hand and knowing she would be targeted from the outset.

"Yesterday, I had an idea that I'm bowling in the PowerPlay and then when we were going inside (at the innings change) I was told 'you take the first over'," Mushangwe told cricket.com.au after finishing with the wickets of Dunkley and Capsey in her second over to land final figures of 2-12.

"And I was like 'okay cool, that will do'."

"I was excited to bowl to her (Lanning) and I didn't know what to expect because I haven't played against her before.

"So I was a bit level-headed really, I wasn't expecting too much."

While two top-order wickets in the over after Schutt had removed Lanning would seem tough to top, Mushangwe took equal delight in the catch she held at mid-wicket from a Sutherland fly ball given she had turfed a similar swirling chance at Strikers' practice under lights two evenings earlier.

And the celebration she produced after that pivotal moment came as no shock to her teammates who saw the ebullient spinner produce similarly unbridled joy upon reaching the halfway point of a 2km time trial run during the squad's pre-season training.

"Yes I celebrated before I even finished the 2km trial, I remember that very well," Mushangwe said, flashing a huge smile.

"I just like the celebrations, and having fun every moment.

"That's all you can do really."

That feeling of fun was not shared by the Stars' dressing room, where the mood matched the biting spring chill at Karen Rolton Oval after a thumping that overtook cross-town rivals Melbourne Renegades' 104-run loss to Perth Scorchers in WBBL|04 as the heftiest defeat (in terms of runs) in the competition to date.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Day, who captured all three Strikers wickets to fall in their total of 177 that was built on a club record 135-run opening stand between Katie Mack (86 off 50 balls) and Laura Wolvaardt (47 off 36), conceded it had been one of those nights that's best forgotten.

"It's T20 cricket, we've got the batting line-up to chase that (Strikers total) and more, but that's what it is and we come back stronger next game," Day said.

"Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't, but I think we saw in the field we were able to really peg it back after the first 10 (overs) and I think that shows the fight of our group.

"And I'm sure we'll back that up with the bat next time."

That "next time" looms as a reprise meeting with the Strikers at CitiPower Centre next Tuesday, which gives Lanning's team three days to regroup before again facing their tormentors from last night.

And although it was the Strikers bowling attack that basked in acclaim from an extraordinary evening where they conceded a solitary boundary, it was a batting display kick-started by Mack's consecutive boundaries in Kim Garth's opening over that will ensure equal angst for the Stars' brains trust.

"For me, it was the way that Katie set the tone from the first over," McGrath said when asked what most impressed her about the Strikers' irresistible start to their title defence.

"Kimmy G (Garth) has been in unbelievable form, and to make a statement like that, it just set up our game.

"Then Mushy (Mushangwe) and Schutter (Schutt) as well – the starts with both bat and ball were just clinical.

"Getting Meg (Lanning) out was a huge relief, she's so destructive and to get her out early then to get rid of the likes of Bellsy (Sutherland) and Dunks (Dunkley) and Capsey, it was like 'we're on here'.

"So we're not changing too much because it worked for us last year.

"We enjoy our cricket, enjoy each other's company and go out there and try and express ourselves, so expect another strong campaign from us."

Weber WBBL|09 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points