Meg Lanning-led Melbourne Stars suffered a horrific loss at the hands of WBBL 2023 defending champions Adelaide Strikers at Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide on October 21. Melbourne Stars were bowled out for a paltry 29 in the run chase of 178. This is the lowest total in the history of WBBL. They ended up losing the match by 148 runs, the highest margin in WBBL.
The previous lowest total in WBBL was 66. In the 2017 edition, Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes were bowled out for 66 each. The previous biggest margin of defeat belonged to Melbourne Renegades who beat Perth Scorchers by 104 runs in the previous edition of the tournament.
Megan Schutt and Anesu Mushangwe ran riot with the new ball. Lanning was the first to fall to Schutt in the second over. Sophia Dunkley hit the only six of the innings. Mushangwe got her wicket in the third over followed by Alice Capsey. In her next over, Schutt got the wicket of Annabel Sutherland. In the fifth over, Amande-Jade Wellington got the wickets of Kim Garth and Maia Bouchier.
In the last over of powerplay overs, wicketkeeper-batter Nicole Faltum lost her wicket to Schutt. The tailenders tried to delay the inevitable. Tahlia McGrath cleaned up the tail to bowl out Stars for 29 in the 10th over.
Earlier, Lanning won the toss and opted to field first. Strikers openers Katie Mack and Laura Wolvaardt shared a 135-run partnership. Sophie Day broke the partnership in the 15th over. Wolvaardt missed her half-century as she departed after scoring 47 runs from 36 balls. In the same over, she got Katie Mack stumped. Mack hit 14 fours in her 50-ball 86. In the penultimate over, Day got the wicket of Bridge Patterson as well. Skipper McGrath played a cameo of 19-ball 34 to help Strikers post 177/3 on the board.
Stars are currently at the fourth spot on the points table as their net run rate (NRR) took a serious hit. Strikers with a win in their first game reached the top of the points table.
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