WBBL | Mack 'n Mooney set up 28-run victory for Perth Scorchers at WACA to knockout Melbourne Stars

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

22

Perth Scorchers advanced to the Women's Big Bash League Challenger with a comfortable win over Melbourne Stars in their Knockout fixture at the WACA on Tuesday. A 107-run opening stand between Katie Mack and Beth Mooney helped the hosts set a target of 174 which the Stars never looked like chasing.

Katie Mack and Beth Mooney put together a 107-run opening stand to set-up a comfortable Perth Scorchers victory against Melbourne Stars in the WBBL Knockout at the WACA on Tuesday

Opting to bat first, Perth Scorchers got off to a quiet start, managing just 28 runs in their four-over mandatory powerplay albeit without any loss of wickets. Beth Mooney and Katie Mack burst free as soon as the field spread with two boundaries in Sophie Day's over and a repeat against Sasha Moloney at the halfway stage left the score reading 79/0 after 10. Mack brought up her half-century in a 15-run 12th over with back-to-back boundaries, off just 37 deliveries, as the Scorchers went past the century mark with ample time remaining. However, Rhys McKenna broke the momentum by finally dispatching Mack, and Kim Garth made it a double whammy with Mooney's wicket six balls later in the Power Surge. Yet, Freya Kemp ensured the Scorchers capitalized on the bonus fielders inside the circle with a four and a six, and her efforts inflated into a 19-ball 35 even as wickets kept falling at the other end. Maddy Darke provided the final flourish with three boundaries in five balls faced to take the Scorchers to a daunting 173/5 at the end of their 20 overs.

In response, Sophie Devine delivered a sensational two-over exhibition of swing bowling and was unlucky to not earn a wicket, even though McKenna's run-out handed the team an early breakthrough. Nevertheless, Amy Jones did manage to caress two elegant boundaries off Devine to take the powerplay score to 24/1, and doubled her boundary count over the next three overs. However, Meg Lanning struggled for tempo at the other end, as she teetered along at 11 in 21 deliveries to see the required run rate rise to nearly 10. Jones responded with the first six off the innings in the eighth over, inspiring Lanning to add a four and a maximum off her own to take Amy Edgar for 18. The opener then struck three more boundaries before the halfway stage to send the score surging to 86/1, leaving as much to get in the second half of the chase. The partnership had blossomed to 87 in 60 deliveries when Alana King finally struck by getting Jones stumped for 43 off 33 in the 13th over, leaving 64 to get in the final six overs. It was all Scorchers thereafter as Lilly Mills struck twice within three balls to remove Annabel Sutherland and Maia Bouchier, before Danielle Gibson was run-out the next over to leave 48 required in the final four overs. The Stars opted for the Power Surge to aid their cause, only for Lanning to nick behind attempting a cut first-ball for 49 and leave her team in dire straits. Georgia Prestwidge sparked some hopes with boundaries off her first two balls but the Scorchers quickly regrouped, before Devine got the better of her in the 18th over to practically end proceedings as they sealed a 28-run victory. 

Safe hands!

Good effort!

Consistent!

10th time!

Lol!

Good fielding effort!

🙌

History!

Eliminator!

Congrats!

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