Meg Lanning came agonisingly close to a century in her 100th WBBL game, but an unbeaten 90 was enough as the Scorchers succumbed in the shortened game
Meg Lanning hit an unbeaten 90 before the rain hit but a reduced target couldn't help Perth as Melbourne Stars won by 16 runs in Adelaide.
Meg Lanning hit top gear in her 100th WBBL game as Melbourne Stars won a rain-hit clash with Perth in Adelaide by 16 runs.
The former Australian captain, dropped on 18, went berserk after a slow start to finish unbeaten on 90 off 55 balls as the Stars reached 4-173 on Friday.
A storm hit, reducing the Scorchers' chase to 95 off nine overs in a tweak that could have favoured the chasers. But the Stars jumped all over the Scorchers, who finished their chase 8-78.
Fresh off a century, Beth Mooney reached 14 off six balls with three boundaries before Kim Garth's (2-16) clever slower ball brought her undone.
Wickets fell regularly, Annabel Sutherland hitting the top of Sophie Devine's off-stump to further stall momentum.
The Scorchers kept swinging but were never truly in the hunt, Sophie Day taking 3-7 from her only over.
Earlier Lanning, coming off a brisk 60 in a rain-spoiled affair earlier this week, made the most of the life given to her when Ebony Hoskin spilled a chance at short third.
She cruised to 35 before exploding with three boundaries and a six to go to 50 off 35 balls.
The boundaries kept coming – Devine (0-42) punished in particular – before Lilly Mills (2-22) pegged the Stars back with late wickets that starved Lanning of the strike in the final three overs.
"I couldn't get it off the square in the last two overs, fell off a cliff there," Lanning, who has retired from international cricket, said.
"But I found my rhythm and was nice to be able to go on with it.
"I've got an idea of how much I need to train to be ready and … I'm certainly enjoying myself."
The Strikers will play the Melbourne Renegades in the second game of the Karen Rolton Oval double header.
Weber WBBL|11 Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.923 | 0 | 4 |
2 |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.847 | 0 | 4 |
3 |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.778 | 0 | 3 |
4 |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 | 0 | 2 |
5 |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1.159 | 0 | 2 |
6 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7 |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -0.616 | 0 | 0 |
8 |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1.012 | 0 | 0 |
M:Matches played
W:Wins
L:Losses
T:Ties
N/R:No results
NRR:Net Run Rate
Ded.:Deductions
PTS:Total points