Devine and King Lead Perth Scorchers to a 15-Run WBBL Victory
Sophie Devine and Alana King delivered a decisive bowling performance as Perth Scorchers defended a modest total to beat Melbourne Stars by 15 runs in a low-scoring Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) contest at Junction Oval on Monday, November 2. Chasing 125 for victory, the Stars were dismissed for 109 in 18.1 overs, unable to recover from a series of early setbacks and a late collapse.
Devine finished with an outstanding 4 for 19, while King claimed 3 for 17 to share seven wickets between them. Their efforts turned a match that appeared finely balanced after Perth’s innings into a valuable win for the Scorchers. The result lifted Perth to second place in the early-season standings, with two victories from two matches. Melbourne, meanwhile, remained fifth after recording one win in three outings.
Scorchers Scramble to a Defendable Total
Melbourne chose to bowl first and did a strong job of limiting Perth’s scoring opportunities. Maisy Gibson, Charlotte Dean and Sophie Day took two wickets apiece, helping the Stars keep the Scorchers under pressure throughout the innings. Although Perth reached 124 for 9 from their 20 overs, they struggled to build the kind of partnerships that usually produce a competitive total.
Openers Katie Mack and Beth Mooney gave the visitors a promising start, putting on 37 for the first wicket. But once that stand was broken, Perth’s innings lost momentum. Devine and Freya Kemp departed during a difficult middle period, and the Scorchers then lost four wickets for just six runs. At 76 for 7, they were in danger of being bowled out well short of a challenging score.
King helped steady the innings with 18 from 21 balls, offering resistance when Perth needed it most. Chloe Ainsworth added 16, while Lilly Mills remained unbeaten on 13. Their contributions helped the Scorchers push beyond 120 and give their bowlers a total to defend.
The Stars’ discipline also proved costly. They conceded 21 extras, including 17 wides, giving Perth valuable additional runs in a match where every score mattered. On a low-scoring surface, those extras helped create a target that was more demanding than the Scorchers’ batting performance alone might have suggested.
Devine Strikes Early as Melbourne’s Chase Falters
Melbourne’s pursuit began in the worst possible fashion. Rhys McKenna was dismissed from the first ball of the innings by Ainsworth, immediately placing the Stars under pressure. Devine then made the breakthrough that shifted the contest further in Perth’s favour, taking two wickets in the fourth over to remove Amy Jones and Annabel Sutherland.
At 30 for 3, Melbourne needed a substantial partnership to rebuild its chase. King added to the visitors’ momentum by dismissing Naomi Stalenberg, leaving the Stars with little room for error. Meg Lanning became the key figure for the home side, playing a composed innings of 41 from 36 balls to keep the chase alive.
Lanning found support from Dean, and the pair added 36 for the fifth wicket. Their stand briefly offered Melbourne a route back into the match, with the partnership providing stability after the early losses. But Perth’s bowlers maintained their pressure, and Devine returned to break the stand by having Dean stumped for 13.
The decisive moment followed when Amy Edgar dismissed Lanning. Her departure left Melbourne at 79 for 6, with the required rate climbing and the lower order exposed. Devine then claimed her fourth wicket by removing Danielle Gibson, effectively ending the Stars’ hopes of a late recovery.
King Helps Close Out the Match
With the main resistance gone, King took charge of the final stages. She dismissed Kim Garth and Maisy Gibson as Melbourne lost its last five wickets for only 30 runs. The Stars were bowled out for 109 in 18.1 overs, 15 runs short of Perth’s total.
The final margin reflected the impact of Perth’s bowling attack rather than a dominant batting display. Devine’s ability to strike at key moments and King’s control through the middle and lower order ensured the Scorchers made full use of their limited total. Ainsworth’s first-ball wicket also set the tone for a chase that never settled.
What the Result Means for the WBBL
For Perth, the win offers an encouraging early-season sign: the team can find ways to compete even when its top order fails to post a large score. The Scorchers’ bowlers showed how pressure, accurate execution and timely wickets can outweigh the advantage of batting first or putting up a substantial total. Their two wins from two matches give them a strong platform as the competition develops.
Melbourne will take positives from Lanning’s measured innings and the bowling effort that restricted Perth to 124. However, the Stars will need to improve their response to early wickets and reduce the number of extras they concede. In a tight WBBL fixture, small details can have a major influence on the result.
Looking ahead, any cricket prediction based on this match should account for Perth’s bowling depth and ability to defend a modest score, while also recognising that Melbourne’s batting can remain competitive when Lanning is at the crease. The contest underlined a familiar lesson in T20 cricket: a low target is not automatically an easy one, particularly when the chasing side loses wickets early and the fielding team keeps the pressure on.
Match Summary
Perth Scorchers: 124/9 in 20 overs (Alana King 18; Maisy Gibson 2/10, Sophie Day 2/17)
Melbourne Stars: 109 all out in 18.1 overs (Meg Lanning 41; Sophie Devine 4/19, Alana King 3/17)
Result: Perth Scorchers won by 15 runs.
