Scary-good Strikers blitz Stars on action-packed Halloween

Adelaide have defied the absence of their two premier seam bowlers to make a sparkling start to their WBBL campaign, defeating the Melbourne Stars by 21 runs.

Bolstered by a swashbuckling close to their batting innings from Maddie Penna, who posted an unbeaten 36 off just 13 deliveries, the Strikers rapidly accelerated their innings to post a formidable 2-185 at Karen Rolton Oval.

With Adelaide's pace aces Megan Schutt (suspension) and Darcie Brown (injured) sidelined, leg-spinner Amanda Jade-Wellington (3-28), seamer Eleanor Larosa (2-23) and left-arm orthodox tweaker Sophie Ecclestone (2-25) stepped up to cut the visitors down.

Melbourne's chase started strongly, with Rhys McKenna (40) and captain Meg Lanning (32) putting on 77 for the first wicket, before Wellington sparked a collapse.

She trapped Lanning lbw, then dismissed Amy Jones (two) thanks to England star Ecclestone's one-handed hanger at mid-off. Wellington removed Annabel Sutherland (29), skying a reverse-sweep to Maia Bouchier, before Ecclestone got rid of Naomi Stalenberg (32) to end the Stars' resistance.

"So pleased for the girls to get that first win and start our season well here," Wellington told Fox Cricket.

"I feel like those two players (Schutt and Brown) are massive for our team.

"We went out there and showed what we can do without those girls."
   
Earlier, Laura Wolvaardt's class and Maddie Penna's power carried the Strikers to their equal second-highest score. South African Wolvaardt (70 in her 100th WBBL match), skipper Tahlia McGrath (43 not out) and Penna (36no off 13 balls) were the mainstays of Adelaide's imposing innings.

England international Bouchier (30), playing her against her old team, looked solid in her first game in Strikers colours before spooning a return catch to Annabel Sutherland.

Sutherland then took a fine diving catch at mid-off to dismiss Wolvaardt, who had put on 82 for the second wicket with McGrath.

Penna clubbed four fours and three sixes in her whirlwind cameo that left the Stars gasping, as Adelaide blasted 76 off the last five overs, including 42 from the last two.

Round 1

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	Drawn D	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	1	1	0	0	0	0	3.422	0	0	0	2
2 Sydney Thunder Women THU	1	1	0	0	0	0	1.335	0	0	0	2
3 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	1	1	0	0	0	0	1.05	0	0	0	2
4 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.15	0	0	0	2
5 Melbourne Stars Women STA	2	1	1	0	0	0	-0.075	0	0	0	2
6 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	1	0	1	0	0	0	-0.15	0	0	0	0
7 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	1	0	1	0	0	0	-0.9	0	0	0	0
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	2	0	2	0	0	0	-2.265	0	0	0	0

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

D: Drawn

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points