Melbourne Stars 118 (Sutherland 36, Harmanpreet 2-13, Wareham 2-18) beat Melbourne Renegades 27 for 2 in 5.3 overs (Matthews 17*, Garth 2-2) by eight runs (DLS)
Wet weather brought to an end the monotonous WBBL campaigns of both Melbourne teams as the Stars won the rain-affected derby at the MCG on Saturday night.
Annabel Sutherland top-scored as Stars were bowled out for 118, and Kim Garth’s first wickets in the Renegades’ chase gave Stars, the hosts of the game, the lead.
Garth reduced Renegades to 12 for 2 in three overs before rain temporarily forced players off the field and sent most fans in a crowd of 5,933 seeking shelter. The game came back for only another nine balls as Hayley Matthews (17 not out from ten balls) valiantly tried to put Renegades ahead in the DLS order.
But Renegades’ 27 for 2 in 5.3 overs were still eight runs short of par when rain ended the match for good.
The result left Stars (six wins in 14 games) and Renegades (two wins in 14) occupying the bottom two places in the table. It was the Stars’ fourth win in their last five games, giving them a taste of what would have been had they started the season in better shape.
That’s it: the referees give the news to the two captains.•fake images
Garth, who returned figures of 2 for 2 in her two overs, dismissed Renegades openers Tammy Beaumont and Emma de Broughe for three balls in the third over of the innings after stand-in captain Sutherland (36) lifted Stars to a respectable batting first total. .
Sutherland hit six boundaries in his 36 off 28 balls and set a club record fourth wicket of 45 with Tess Flintoff (22 off 23 balls).
Both Sutherland and De Broughe were bowled out by Harmanpreet Kaur, who returned 2 for 13. Matthews (2 for 20), Georgia Prestwidge (2 for 27) and Georgia Wareham (2 for 18) were the other leading wicket-takers.
The rain-affected match was a disappointing end to former Australian international Jess Duffin’s professional career after the cross-code athlete announced her retirement before the match. Duffin did not bat or bowl, but claimed that she took a catch which dismissed Alice Capsey for a duck in the second ball off the bowling of Georgia Prestwidge.
The Stars were once again without their regular captain, Meg Lanning, who missed the final three games of the season for personal reasons. Lanning announced her retirement from international cricket earlier this month, saying she had lost her hunger to perform at international level.
