Darlington takes 5-10 as Thunder beat Stars in WBBL

Hannah Darlington has bagged her first five-wicket haul to crash Meg Lanning’s retirement get together and assist the Sydney Thunder go high of the WBBL ladder with a four-run win over the Melbourne Stars.

Darlington claimed 5-10 at North Sydney Oval on Friday, because the Thunder defended 125 by containing the Stars to 9-121 in reply.

The figures are the very best of any bowler this season, and solely second to Megan Schutt’s 6-10 for the best by a fast in WBBL historical past.

Darlington’s wickets included Stars captain Lanning, who was caught behind for 19 the day after asserting her shock retirement from worldwide cricket.

Lanning had regarded set to information the Stars to a much-needed victory, displaying off her trademark reduce pictures and guiding the ball exterior off stump with ease.

However when she edged a reduce shot off Darlington via to wicketkeeper Tahlia Wilson, the Stars chase was all of a sudden in deep trouble.

Some late hitting from No.11 Milly Illingworth (14no from eight) received the equation all the way down to 9 off the final over, earlier than Thunder spinner Chamari Athapaththu held her nerve to complete the sport with a dot ball when 5 runs have been required.

Lanning has set no end-date on her franchise Twenty20 profession, however the Stars now have to see the easiest of her over the ultimate 5 video games of this season.

Sitting seventh on the ladder, they’ll seemingly have to win all of these matches to make the finals.

Darlington was the catalyst for the Thunder’s win.

She received England star Alice Capsey caught behind for 27, earlier than dismissing Annabel Sutherland in the identical vogue.

The 21-year-old additionally bowled the ball of the day to dismiss Kim Garth for a golden duck, jagging it again from exterior off stump to take center and leg.

And simply because the Stars regarded set to work their approach into the sport, Darlington had Maia Bouchier caught on the legside boundary for 23.

Having made her Australia debut at 19, Darlington is now urgent for her first nationwide choice in two years after taking 13 wickets in her final 4 WBBL video games.

Her work with the ball got here after the Thunder regarded down and out.

Solely Heather Knight’s 45 helped the host’s innings keep afloat, after they slumped from 0-30 to 3-39 early and have been all the time rebuilding.

Teenager Rhys McKenna (3-18), particularly, bowled fantastically for the Stars, whereas Sutherland took 3-22.

The Thunder’s victory strikes them again forward of Adelaide in first place, with six wins from seven video games, after gathering the wood spoon final season.