Georgia Wareham will again take the reins with the Renegades without their captain for the second Melbourne derby of the season
Blow for Renegades with Molineux to miss crucial derby clash
Melbourne Renegades have copped a blow ahead of their clash with the Melbourne Stars, with their captain Sophie Molineux set to miss the highly-anticipated game on Saturday.
The decision to sit Molineux out is part of her ongoing injury management plan that also saw her miss the first three games of WBBL|11 and is likely to be motivated by the need to rest her before the business end of the tournament.
Allrounder Tess Flintoff has returned to the squad after missing their last game with injury, while Georgia Wareham will step back into the leadership duties.
Melbourne Renegades squad v Stars: Georgia Wareham (c), Charis Bekker, Alice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum (wk), Tess Flintoff, Milly Illingworth, Sara Kennedy, Naomi Stalenberg, Courtney Webb, Issy Wong
The Renegades are sitting third on the table with eight points from seven games, closely trailing their opponents for the weekend, who are second with nine points and a game in hand.
The momentum is not on the side of the defending champions either as they are coming into the clash of the on back of a loss to the Perth Scorchers on Thursday. The Stars, meanwhile, are on a roll with three consecutive wins.
Molineux had made her first appearance of the season in the first Melbourne derby after the Renegades opted to delay her start to the tournament to manage a minor quad strain on her return from the long World Cup tour of the subcontinent.
The 27-year-old is no stranger to being managed. She missed four games last season with knee soreness before returning to lead the Renegades to their maiden WBBL title.
Molineux then had knee surgery in January that forced her into an extended rehab. The World Cup in October, where she made four appearances, marked her return to play.
The spin-bowling allrounder contributed with a run-a-ball 32 and a wicket as the Renegades claimed the win over their cross-town rivals two weeks ago.
Other than a 29 off 22 in the thrashing of the Sydney Thunder, Molineux's impact has been limited so far in the competition.
She has bowled her full quota of overs only once since, claiming just one more wicket at an average of 47.
The Renegades will take belief from their strong start to the tournament, where they had won two out of their three games in Molineux's absence, as they look to avert the risk of falling behind in the finals race by bouncing back quickly.
Their strong recent record over the Stars – with wins in the last three encounters – will also give them confidence.
The Annabel Sutherland-led side, on the other hand, will be coming into the contest the at Junction Oval unchanged, riding the high of defeating ladder leaders Hobart Hurricanes three days ago.
Melbourne Stars squad v Renegades: Annabel Sutherland (c), Sophie Day, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Georgia Prestwidge, Ella Hayward, Sophie Reid, Maisy Gibson, Dani Gibson, Kim Garth, Amy Jones, Marizanne Kapp, Sasha Moloney
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HUR
|
10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.662 | 0 | 15 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -0.313 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | -0.132 | 0 | 12 |
|
4
STA
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.629 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
REN
|
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.121 | 0 | 10 |
|
6
STR
|
10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0.077 | 0 | 9 |
|
7
THU
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.124 | 0 | 9 |
|
8
HEA
|
10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | -0.869 | 0 | 1 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points