Former Melbourne Stars closed out a 15-run victory over Brisbane Heat at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday. Meg Lanning, who recently retired from international cricket, took a break from the game due to personal reasons and did not participate in the match. Stars coach Jonathan Batty mentioned that Lanning’s immediate future in the sport is uncertain due to the personal break.
Young all-rounder Annabel Sutherland stepped in as captain in Lanning’s absence as Heat dropped their second consecutive match. Left-arm spinner Sophie Day and Sutherland tightened the screws on Heat, with Day securing the Player of the Match title for her 3 for 16 performance. As a result of the defeat, Heat’s hopes of hosting the final as the top-ranked team in the regular season took a blow.
