Strikers bounce back strongly to edge past Stars

Adelaide Strikers have bounced back from their first loss of WBBL|09, overcoming a late stumble to eke out a four-wicket final-over win over Melbourne Stars at the CitiPower Centre.

The Strikers had less than 24 hours to regroup after their humbling 81-run defeat to the Renegades at the same venue a day earlier, but managed to do so as they chased the Stars’ 6-133 with two balls to spare.

Needing to defend the lowest first-innings total of the season to date, Kim Garth struck a big early blow for the Stars when she bowled Laura Wolvaardt for two, and Alice Capsey captured the key wicket of Tahlia McGrath lbw on 10.

Katie Mack (48 off 40) settled in to anchor the chase alongside Bridget Patterson (27 off 24) but there was a twist in the tale as she was bowled by part-timer Sophia Dunkley just shy of fifty, with the Strikers still needing 25 from 26 deliveries.

Maddie Penna (28no from 28) dug in to steer the Strikers home despite two late wickets forcing the chase into the final over, sealing the club’s second win from three matches, and their second victory over the Stars in four days.

Stars skipper Meg Lanning bucked the trend when she became the first skipper of the season to bat first after winning the flip, but her top-order struggled to get going on a surface being used for the third time.

Sophia Dunkley (5 off 10) hit out in frustration, falling to her countrywoman Georgia Adams, and Lanning followed shortly after for 13 when she miscued a flick off her toes and instead picked out Jemma Barsby at mid-off.

Annabel Sutherland (6 off 10) charged at Barsby only to be stumped by Patterson, leaving the Stars 3-31 in the eighth over.

Alice Capsey (25 from 26) was unlucky to be dismissed in the same fashion just as she looked to get moving; the delivery from leg-spinner Anesu Mushangwe deceived both Capsey and Patterson, but bounced off the wicketkeepers pads and onto the stumps.

Rhys McKenna, who had raced to 14 from four balls after being elevated to No.6, could consider herself very unlucky to fall in almost identical fashion an over later.

A delivery from Megan Schutt again bounced off Patterson’s pads, but replays showed McKenna was safely inside her crease when the bails were dislodged.

However, DRS is only available for the 24 matches broadcast by Channel Seven and Tuesday afternoon's match was a streamed fixture, so had no video technology in place.

Her dismissal, which left the hosts 5-91, came at an important period with the Stars finally starting to build momentum in their innings.

Big Bash officials currently have plans in place for an extra 10 games to have video technology next season, with a goal of increasing that number further in the future.

Meanwhile Maia Bouchier’s patience paid off as she started to score more freely, but a half-century went begging when she was bowled by Schutt for a 38-ball 48 in the penultimate over.

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

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