Hobart are in danger of losing top spot after the Melbourne Stars dominated Wednesday’s WBBL match for a 37-run win
The Melbourne Stars will carry solid momentum into Saturday’s big WBBL local derby, easily beating top side Hobart by 37 runs.
After starting the season with five-straight wins, the Hurricanes have lost their last two and are in danger of ceding top spot to either the Stars or Melbourne Renegades.
The third-placed Renegades will host Perth on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s clash against the Stars, who are now second after their third win in a row and only one point behind the Hurricanes.
After Hobart won the toss on Wednesday at Junction Oval, Amy Jones and Danielle Gibson gave momentum to Melbourne’s stalled innings and the home side reached 6-151 from their 20 overs.
Marizanne Kapp then went all Mitchell Starc, bowling Lizelle Lee with the first delivery of the Hurricanes innings.
Kapp also bowled fellow opener Danielle Wyatt-Hodge in the third over and took an outstanding catch in the deep to remove Nicola Carey.
Captain Elyse Villani and Hayley Silver-Holmes tried to keep the Hurricanes in the hunt with a quickfire seventh-wicket stand.
But Stars captain Annabel Sutherland snared two wickets and Sophie Day picked up four as the Hurricanes were bundled out for 114 with 22 deliveries left.
Jones was player of the match for her knock of 59 from 40 balls, with six fours and a six.
Jones and Gibson came together at 4-91 in the 14th over – not yet a crisis, but the Hurricanes would have felt they had the momentum.
Instead, Gibson belted 39 from 27 deliveries, with five fours and a six, as they put on a quickfire 44 for the fifth wicket. Carey took 2-29 from her four overs.
After Hobart slumped to 6-59, Villani and Silver-Holmes gave them a glimmer of hope with their 40-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Then Day bowled Silver-Holmes for 18 from 14 deliveries and Sutherland bowled Villani for 38 off 21 balls to kill off the late rally.
Kapp took 2-29 from her four overs, while Sutherland also snared two and Day cleaned up the tail on the way to 4-17 from three overs.
Weber WBBL|11 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
HUR
7
5
2
0
0
0.109
0
10
2
STA
6
4
1
0
1
2.152
0
9
3
REN
6
4
2
0
0
0.795
0
8
4
SIX
5
3
2
0
0
-0.533
0
6
5
SCO
6
3
3
0
0
-0.616
0
6
6
STR
6
2
3
0
1
0.067
0
5
7
THU
6
2
4
0
0
-0.519
0
4
8
HEA
6
0
6
0
0
-1.045
0
0
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
