Hurricanes Dominate Stars with Danni Wyatt-Hodge Leading the Charge

The match where Hobart Hurricanes Women completely outplayed Melbourne Stars Women in a rain-affected WBBL game at Bellerive Oval on 1 December 2025 ended in a crushing 81-run win (DLS method) for the Hurricanes, taking them even clearer at the top of the points table.

Hobart Hurricanes Women’s Innings

When Melbourne Stars won the toss and chose to bowl first, everyone expected a good contest on a fresh Hobart pitch. What they got instead was a batting masterclass from the Hurricanes openers. Lizelle Lee and Danni Wyatt-Hodge walked out and straightaway took the attack to the Stars bowlers. Lee, in particular, was in a destructive mood from ball one. She hammered Marizanne Kapp’s first over for two boundaries and then took 13 runs off Kim Garth in the second over, including a huge six over midwicket. Anything short or wide was punished. By the end of the fourth over the score was already 39 without loss, and the Stars looked rattled.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge just continues to make runs in #WBBL11 👏

She's just brought up her fourth half-century of the tournament! pic.twitter.com/v243U90oz9

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

The fifty partnership came up in just 5.2 overs, helped by some sloppy bowling, the Hurricanes had already collected 11 extras, mostly wides. Lee was on 27 and Wyatt-Hodge on 13 when rain suddenly stopped play at 58 for 0 after 5.4 overs. The ground staff worked quickly, but the match was reduced to 17 overs per side, and the target for the Stars would later be adjusted to 180. When play resumed, Lee continued from where she left off. She smashed Rhys McKenna for three boundaries in the sixth over, racing into the 30s. But just when she looked set for a big one, she tried to clear mid-off in the seventh over and holed out to Kapp off McKenna for a quickfire 32 off 20 balls (4 fours, 1 six). The 61-run opening stand had set the perfect tone.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, one of the best all-rounders in the world, came in at No. 3 and immediately looked in sublime touch. She drove Annabel Sutherland beautifully through cover for four first ball and then pulled Garth for another boundary. Together with Wyatt-Hodge she kept the scoreboard ticking at more than ten an over. The second-wicket partnership reached 50 in only 27 balls. Sciver-Brunt was severe on anything short as she pulled and cut with power and timing. She had raced to 31 off just 20 balls with five crisp boundaries when she picked out deep midwicket off Sutherland in the 12th over. The Hurricanes were 124 for 2, still perfectly placed.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who had been playing second fiddle for a while, now took complete control. The England star was seeing the ball like a football. She brought up her fifty off just 34 balls with a glorious drive through extra cover, her eighth four. She wasn’t done yet. She continued to find gaps on both sides of the wicket, lofted Sophie Day inside-out over cover, and even cleared the ropes once with a clean strike down the ground. By the 14th over the Hurricanes had crossed 150, and a total close to 200 looked possible.

Captain Elyse Villani played the ideal supporting role at the other end. She started slowly but soon found her range, driving and flicking elegantly. The third-wicket pair added exactly 50 runs in just 28 deliveries. Villani contributed 23 off 14 balls with three well-timed fours. The crowd was loving every moment as the runs kept flowing freely.

Then came a dramatic final over from Sophie Day. Wyatt-Hodge, looking for her highest score of the season, tried to go over long-off but found the fielder on the rope for a brilliant 71 off 47 balls, nine fours and one six. Next ball, Villani was run out trying to steal a bye after a mix-up. Suddenly two new batters, Nicola Carey and Heather Graham were at the crease with one ball left. They managed to keep the strike but couldn’t add anything more.

The Hurricanes end their 17-over innings at 4-176 thanks to Danni Wyatt Hodge's 71* (47).

180 is the DLS target for the Stars to take back top spot in #WBBL11. pic.twitter.com/pFpzrQeo90

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

In the end, 176 for 4 felt like a massive total in a 17-over game. The Hurricanes had smashed 19 fours and two sixes, and 17 extras (14 of them wides) had hurt the Stars badly. No bowler looked threatening, Sophie Day and Annabel Sutherland took one wicket each, McKenna got one, but the rest were expensive. Kim Garth went for 38 in three overs, McKenna 27 in two, and Sutherland 38 in four. It was a tough day in the field for the Stars.

Melbourne Stars Women’s Innings

Chasing 180 in 17 overs meant the Stars needed more than 10.5 runs per over from the start, a huge ask even on a good batting pitch. The Hurricanes bowlers made sure it became impossible within the first few overs. Nicola Carey, swinging the new ball beautifully, struck in the second over when Rhys McKenna played across the line and was trapped plumb in front for 1. Two balls later, Meg Lanning tried to loft Linsey Smith over the infield but was clean bowled for 9.

You've got to love her 🤩

Here's every wicket of Molly Strano's 5-16! #WBBL11 pic.twitter.com/ZmRDX6JfY2

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

The Stars were 15 for 2 inside three overs, and the required rate was already climbing fast. Captain Annabel Sutherland tried to fight back, smashing two boundaries in her short stay, but she too fell to Linsey Smith, chipping a simple catch to midwicket for 11. At 29 for 3, the middle order was exposed far too early. Then came the turning point of the match, Molly Strano’s introduction in the seventh over. The veteran off-spinner produced one of the best spells in WBBL history.

First ball after the drinks break, Amy Jones slashed hard outside off and skied a catch to Wyatt-Hodge at cover for 19. Two balls later, Marizanne Kapp played back to a perfect arm ball and was stumped (initially given caught behind) for a three-ball duck. Next delivery, Danielle Gibson flicked aerially straight to square leg, caught by Lauren Smith. Strano was on a hat-trick, and the Bellerive Oval crowd was roaring.

Kim Garth survived the hat-trick ball, but the damage was done. The Stars had lost four wickets in eight legal deliveries and were reeling at 51 for 6. Garth herself didn’t last long, she pulled Strano straight to Wyatt-Hodge in the deep for 3. At the halfway stage (8 overs), the Stars were 54 for 6 and effectively out of the game.

Only Sasha Moloney showed any real resistance. The lower-order batter played some brave shots, lofting Strano for six over midwicket and driving cleanly for a couple of fours. She fought hard for 31 off 24 balls, but she was running out of partners. Georgia Prestwidge was run out for 5 after a terrible mix-up, Maisy Gibson lofted a simple catch to mid-on for 6, and when Moloney finally holed out to long-on off Strano in the 15th over, the end was near.

Statement made 🚂

The @HurricanesBBL secure their place in the #WBBL11 Finals with a huge win over the Stars. pic.twitter.com/DOdhHq6V8x

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

Lauren Smith wrapped things up by having Gibson caught in the deep in the 16th over. The Stars were all out for a disappointing 98 in just 15.5 overs, 81 runs short of the target. Molly Strano finished with astonishing figures of 5 for 16 in three overs, easily one of the best bowling performances of the season. Linsey Smith bowled tightly for 2 for 29, Nicola Carey was brilliant with 1 for 5 in two overs, and the rest of the attack kept things quiet. Only eight wides were bowled all innings, and the fielding was sharp, Wyatt-Hodge taking three catches herself. The Hurricanes celebrated a massive victory that strengthened their hold on the top spot, while the Stars were left to think about what went wrong on a night when nothing clicked for them.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

When the Hobart Hurricanes Women needed a big score in their 17-over rain-hit match, Danni Wyatt-Hodge produced the kind of innings that wins games single-handedly and earned her the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. Walking in after Lizelle Lee’s quick-fire 32, Wyatt-Hodge took the Melbourne Renegades bowling apart with pure class and power. She raced to 71 off just 47 balls, hammering nine fours and one massive six at a stunning strike rate of 151.06.

No one has made more runs in #WBBL11 than Danni Wyatt-Hodge 💪 #POTM pic.twitter.com/EOA7OeunoX

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

While others came and went, Wyatt-Hodge kept finding the boundary almost every over, turning good balls into scoring chances. Her 63-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt (31 off 20) lifted the Hurricanes past 100, and even after the middle order wobbled, she stayed till the 17th over, smashing the bowler for boundaries before getting caught for 71. That brilliant knock pushed Hobart to a commanding 176 for 4, the highest total of the match and left the opposition chasing a mountain.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Going to the crease with her off-spin, Molly Strano completely stole the show and earned the TCNI Hero of the Day award in the Melbourne Stars Women’s clash against Hobart Hurricanes Women. Chasing a revised target of 180 runs in just 17 overs after rain, the Stars got off to a nightmare start. Strano stepped up and ripped through the batting lineup, grabbing an incredible 5 wickets for only 16 runs in her 3 overs.

One very happy Molly Strano 😄 #WBBL11 pic.twitter.com/X3TOLJh35t

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 1, 2025

Her economy rate was a superb 5.33, making it tough for the Stars to score freely. She struck early by trapping Amy Jones caught for 19, then sent back the dangerous Marizanne Kapp for a duck two balls later. Strano wasn’t done as she clean-bowled Danielle Gibson for 12, had Kim Garth caught for 3, and later removed the well-set Sasha Moloney for 31. Those five wickets left the Stars crumbling at 98 all out in 15.5 overs, handing the Hurricanes a massive 81-run victory.