Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars: Sydney Thunder Edge Past Melbourne Stars in a Nail-Biting WBBL Clash

Sydney Thunder triumphed in a tense low-scoring battle against Melbourne Stars, winning by four wickets in their Women’s Big Bash League encounter at Sydney. Stars faced a complete batting collapse in front of the brilliant bowling effort from Thunders’ side led by Hannah Darlington(3/26) and Chamari Athapaththu(2/12) masterclass. Only Sophie Reid(21 of 21) and Kim Garth(20 of 16) put in a defending knock to reach a triple-digit total. Chasing 109, Thunder overcame early jitters to reach the target in 19.4 overs, with the help of a composed knock by Anika Learoyd and Hannah Darlington’s impactful all-round performance.

The Stars’ bowlers, led by Marizanne Kapp (3/20), dismantled Thunder’s top order early, reducing them to 15/3 within five overs. Georgia Voll (11) and skipper Phoebe Litchfield (0) fell cheaply, while Chamari Athapaththu (1) struggled against Kapp’s accuracy. Tahlia Wilson’s 33 (40 balls) stabilized the innings, but it was Learoyd’s unbeaten 31 off 37 balls that held the chase together. Darlington added the last screw of the coffin with her 5* off 2 balls to seal the victory.

Despite Kapp’s heroics with the ball, the Stars couldn’t defend the modest total. Thunder’s win highlighted the importance of composure in close games, with Darlington named Player of the Match for her crucial three-wicket haul and late-moment cameo. The victory keeps Sydney Thunder in strong contention for the playoffs, while the Stars face an uphill battle to keep their campaign alive.