WBBL | Hobart Hurricanes secure playoffs spot by snapping Melbourne Stars' four-match win-streak in style

Today at 5:27 PM

‌Hobart Hurricanes extended their lead in first to three points with a 81-run victory in the top-of-the-table clash against Melbourne Stars, at Bellerive Oval on Monday. The hosts posted 176/4 in the 17-over rain truncated game on the back of Danny Wyatt-Hodge's 71 before the Stars collapsed for 98.

Danny Wyatt-Hodge soared back to the top of the WBBL run-scoring charts with a match-winning 71 for Hobart Hurricanes against Melbourne Stars at Bellerive Oval

Asked to bat first, Lizelle Lee got obart Hurricanes off to a flier with two boundaries in Marizanne Kapp's first over. The hard-hitter then capitalized on an awry Kim Garth over featuring two four wides with a boundary and a maximum to push the powerplay score to 39/0, despite Danny Wyatt-Hodge struggling for rhythm at the other end. The Englishwoman broke the shackles once the field spread with a couple of boundaries in as many overs as the Hurricanes raced to 60 in six overs before rain interrupted proceedings. The encounter was cut-down to 17-overs a side upon resumption, and immediately brought a change in the Stars' fortunes as Lee holed out for a 20-ball 32. Nevertheless, Natalie Sciver-Brunt made sure there was no slack in the tempo with a blistering boundary-laden start to her knock, the duo putting together a four-over spell for 37 runs to prepare themselves for the power surge in the 11th over. However, the move backfired as a disciplined Annabel Sutherland over dispatched Sciver-Brunt for 31 off 20 in an over worth just eight. Wyatt-Hodge brought up a 34-ball half-century in the next over to make the Hurricanes motor along all the same before skipper Ellyse Villaini struck a hattrick of fours as the onslaught continued. Two disciplined overs to end still saw the Hurricanes end with a daunting 176/4, the revised 17-over target for the Stars thus 180.

Lauren Smith made the new ball talk in her first over to seize momentum before Nicola Carey extracted even more prodigous swing to pin Rhys McKenna LBW in her first over. Meg Lanning tried to flip the tables with a six off Linsey Smith in the next over but got castled the very next ball, and the Hurricanes ended the four-over powerplay on top at 21/2. Smith added a second to her tally soon after with Sutherland's wicket but Amy Jones reinjected hopes with three boundaries in the space of six deliveries, the required run rate already well past 12. With the time ripe to strike, Villaini handed the ball to Molly Strano, and the quick took just two deliveries to get the better of Jones for a 15-ball 19. Two balls later, Kapp nicked off for a duck and Strano capped off the over with the wicket of Danielle Gibson to suddenly leave the Stars reeling at 51/6. Strano took her tally to four with Kim Garth's wicket in the next over and some desperate running between the wickets had Georgia Prestwidge depart after a fivve-ball stay, practically sealing encounters with the score 62/8 after 10 overs. Moloney rescued some net run rate for the Stars with a late 24-ball cameo of 31 before Strano returned to complete her fifer as the Stars tumbled all-out for 98 with seven balls to spare, thus ending their four-match win streak.

5 wicket!

5 wickets for Molly Strano!

It's a second five-wicket haul for a great of this competition.
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Superb !

SCREAMER! 😱

What a catch that is from Danni Wyatt-Hodge!
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Big Wicket!

❌ Meg Lanning

❌ Annabel Sutherland

Linsey Smith is having a night out at Ninja Stadium!
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Struggling!

Hurricanes struggling to get the ex Canes out
— Julian (@JulianStevens95) ‌

Hilarious!

"Everybody is laughing!" 😂

Not often you see two fielders get tangled up like this!
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3 wicket!

Three wickets in the one Molly Strano over!
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Bowled!

Six and out!

Meg Lanning launched Linsey Smith for a huge maximum, but the English international had the last laugh.
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL)

haha!