Brisbane Heat 3 for 134 (Harris 53, Redmayne 37*) beat Perth Scorchers 7 for 132 by seven wickets
Defending champions the Brisbane Heat may not be fancied by too many to make it a hat-trick of titles this season, but they laid down an early marker with clinical run-chase against the Perth Scorchers at North Sydney Oval. Grace Harris, sporting a black eye from a mishap with the golf simulator in the WBBL village, lived up to her captain's early billing as a batter who has found a new level of maturity with a superbly controlled half-century as she went from 11 off 18 balls to a fifty off 35 - beginning with a run of six, four, six off Nicole Bolton. Her stand of 78 in nine overs with Georgia Redmayne, a new signing from the Scorchers, took the Heat to the brink of their target as steady rain fell. Earlier, the new power pairing at the top of the Scorchers' order, captain Sophie Devine and former Heat star Beth Mooney, added 55 in eight overs but the innings did not kick on. Amy Jones and Bolton put on 51 but it took 43 balls followed by a late clatter of wickets.
Adelaide Strikers 2 for 85 (Wolvaardt 51*) beat Hobart Hurricanes 84 (Brown 3-13, Wellington 3-19) by eight wickets
The Adelaide Strikers began their tournament in fine style after they bundled out the Hobart Hurricanes for 84 at Hurstville Oval. Megan Schutt was on a hat-trick with her first two legal deliveries of the season; following a first-ball wide she cleaned up Rachel Priest and Hayley Matthews. When Nicola Carey played across one from 17-year-old debutant Darcie Brown in the second over the Hurricanes were 3 for 7. The innings was briefly steadied by Naomi Stalenberg and captain Corinne Hall but spin dismantled the middle order with Madeline Penna removing Hall for her first Strikers wicket and Brown finished with an outstanding 3 for 13. The chase caused few issues for the Strikers as South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt began her latest WBBL stint with a stylish 41-ball half century.
Melbourne Stars 4 for 127 (Lanning 51*) v Melbourne Renegades - No result
Meg Lanning marked her return to the Melbourne Stars with an unbeaten half-century but the rain that ruined the second half of the opening day of the WBBL curtailed the contest after 16 overs. Lanning had anchored the Stars' innings after former captain Elyse Villani fell to the first ball of the match while the power came from Mignon du Preez and later Annabel Sutherland. Carly Leeson found herself on a hat-trick when she had du Preez caught in the deep and bowled England allrounder Nat Sciver first ball before Lanning and Sutherland steadied things with a stand of 53.
Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder - No result
The first Sydney derby of the season, which would have been Ellyse Perry's return to action after more than seven months, was abandoned without a ball bowled at North Sydney Oval as first light drizzle and then heavier rain swept into the city.