Recent Match Report – Hurricanes vs Stars 20th Match 2023/24

Hobart Hurricanes 143 for 4 (Carey 41*, Villani 41, Stalenberg 33*, Sutherland 2-32) beat Melbourne Stars 142 for 8 (Lanning 75, Ismail 3-34, Strano 2-14, Gibson 2-34) by six wickets

They played risk-free cricket as Hurricanes comfortably crossed the target having been in trouble earlier in the innings.

Villani and Lizelle Lee had started watchfully in the powerplay as they blunted a desperate Stars attack facing an uphill battle to defend a seemingly modest total.

Much like counterpart Lanning earlier, Villani defied her team’s predicament by batting calmly and hitting attractive shots around the wicket. Stars were feeling the brunt of not only Villani’s bat, but also a pesky bird feeling rather territorial in the outfield.

Hurricanes took the power surge in the 11th over, but it did not have the desired effect with Villani on 41 succumbing to a Sutherland slower delivery.

But Carey and Stalenberg were unruffled as Hurricanes continued to turn around their season after starting with a pair of big defeats against Perth Scorchers.

Hurricanes’ bowlers were aided by reckless batting from Stars. Playing a lone hand with a 50-ball 75, Lanning rescued Stars from peril at 46 for 4 with no other batter reaching 20 runs.

It was not the performance envisioned from Stars when Lanning elected to bat on a flat surface. She watched on glumly as opener Sophie Reid holed out in the first over to Strano, who bowled a wicket maiden.

A buoyant Hurricanes went on the attack with Ismail bowling short of a length. The plan worked almost immediately with Alice Capsey baited into hitting a rising delivery straight to Carey at third.

At 5 for 2, it was left to Lanning and Sutherland to steady the ship but they continued to be confronted by a hostile Ismail armed with an aggressive field.

Having emerged from a form rut against Scorchers with 49 off 27 balls, Sutherland briefly showcased her growing repertoire of inventive strokes to become the youngest player to reach 1000 runs in the WBBL. She clubbed Ismail down the ground, but on the next delivery miscued a delivery angled into her body straight to mid-on.

Lanning rebuilt the innings by playing cautiously initially and she received support from Sophia Dunkley, who on two survived a missed stumping from Lee off Amy Smith.

Lanning decided to put the foot down in the 12th over with three boundaries off Maisy Gibson. She accelerated further after taking the power surge in the 15th over and reached her half-century in style with a clip on the leg side.

Not even the return of Ismail slowed down Lanning, who smashed a full toss for six as she eyed a remarkable century.

But Lanning’s dismissal in the 18th over put the brakes on as Stars finished with a total that ultimately proved insufficient in the batting-friendly conditions.