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All-round Sutherland keeps Stars' hopes alive

Annabel Sutherland smacked 62 not out off just 29 balls Getty Images

Melbourne Stars 5 for 149 (Sutherland 62*, Heath 31, Coyte 3-22, Matthews 2-28) beat Melbourne Renegades 8 for 148 (Dooley 54, Moloney 4-15, Sutherland 3-37) by five wickets

Annabel Sutherland hit three sixes in the final over to deliver a stunning last-ball WBBL victory for the Melbourne Stars over the Melbourne Renegades.

Needing 23 to win from the final over, 21-year-old allrounder Sutherland held her nerve and swung freely to bring to life a chase that looked futile. Sutherland (62 not out off 29) cleared the boundary twice off Sophie Molineux's left-arm spin, the bowler's knee buckling as she delivered the second of those deliveries. Molineux was assisted from the ground and Georgia Prestwidge was thrown the ball for the first time with nine to get off three balls.

A wide was followed by another strong-armed six by Sutherland, who then took a quick single and watched captain Nicole Faltum clear the off-side field for the winning runs. Sutherland also took three wickets in the win that kept the Stars' finals hopes alive.

Earlier, Sarah Coyte hit two sixes in a six-ball knock that pushed the Renegades to a respectable total, wicketkeeper Josie Dooley's 54 anchoring their innings. Stars spinner Sasha Moloney took 4 for 15 from her four overs before Coyte put the clamps on the Stars' batters. Sutherland wasn't deterred, though, her innings featuring five sixes and coming with no other team-mate able to strike above 106.

Stars 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st22L Winfield-HillBAM Heath
2nd24BAM HeathA Capsey
3rd15BAM HeathA Sutherland
4th5A SutherlandT Flintoff
5th48KJ GarthA Sutherland
6th35A SutherlandN Faltum