Sophie Devine four-for seals low-scoring encounter for Perth Scorchers

On Monday, November 2, Perth Scorchers defeated Melbourne Stars by 15 runs in a low-scoring WBBL match at Junction Oval thanks to seven wickets shared by Sophie Devine and Alana King.

The Scorchers lost the Stars for 109 in 18.1 overs, defending 124, thanks to Devine's 4 for 19 and King's 3 for 17. The victory took the Scorchers to second in the early-season standings with two wins from as many matches, while the Stars sit fifth with one win from three outings.

The Stars bowled, limiting the Scorchers to a low total with two wickets each from Maisy Gibson, Charlotte Dean, and Sophie Day. Katie Mack and Beth Mooney, who combined for 37 for the first wicket, gave Perth a promising start, but they struggled to keep that momentum going. Devine and Freya Kemp fell early as the innings unravelled in the middle overs, with the Scorchers losing four wickets for six runs to slip to 76 for 7.

With a 21-ball 18, Alana King posed some resistance, and Chloe Ainsworth (16) and Lilly Mills (13*) contributed to push the total past 120. The 21 extras, including 17 wides, conceded by the Stars also proved useful to the visitors.

The chase got off to a disastrous start for Melbourne, with Rhys McKenna falling off the first ball to Ainsworth. Devine then struck twice in the fourth over, removing Amy Jones and Annabel Sutherland to leave the Stars at 30 for 3. King added to their troubles by dismissing Naomi Stalenberg, but Meg Lanning kept the chase alive with a measured 41 off 36 balls.

Lanning found some support from Charlotte Dean, with the pair adding 36 for the fifth wicket to briefly steady the innings. However, Devine returned to break the stand, having Dean stumped for 13 before accounting. When Lanning fell to Amy Edgar for a 36-ball 41, the Stars were tottering at 79 for 6. Devine then claimed her fourth wicket by dismissing Danielle Gibson, effectively ending the hosts' hopes of a recovery.

King dealt with the lower order, taking out Kim Garth and Maisy Gibson and taking three wickets in the process. The Stars lost their last five wickets for 30 runs and were bowled out for 109, falling 15 runs short.