Melbourne Stars women have had a poor outing in the ongoing WBBL 2024. They have lost all of their last five matches and find themselves at the bottom of the table. Their upcoming challenge would be to take on the Brisbane Heat women, who are currently placed third in the points table. The Stars women have a tough challenge ahead of them.
It has been a long time since the Stars women last won a game. The match between the two sides is set to take place at the Allan Border Field. They need their players to be at their absolute best. A loss against the Heat women would mean the end of the campaign for the Stars women. Hence, the Stars women would be looking to win their upcoming game at all costs.
Here’s the predicted playing XI of the Melbourne Stars Women against the Brisbane Heat Women –
Top Order – Sophie Reid (WK), Annabel Sutherland (C ), and Meg Lanning
The top order of the Melbourne Stars women is their biggest strength. Sophie Reid is one of the emerging WK batters. She can win matches on her own. Annabel Sutherland will bat alongside her. To follow them would be Meg Lanning. While Annabel is the skipper of the side, Lanning is the most experienced player. She can anchor the innings and guide her side to a good total.
Middle Order – Marizanne Kapp, Tess Flintoff, and Rhys McKena
While the biggest strength of the Sixers women is their top 3, their middle order has some talented names. Marizanne Kapp is an experienced name in the group. She can win matches on her own both as a batter and as a bowler. To follow her would be the likes of Tess Flintoff and Rhys McKena. While they are talented and are learning, Stars women need them to fire in the must-win game.
Also Read: Predicting Brisbane Heat Women’s playing XI for their match against Sydney Sixers Women in WBBL
Lower Middle Order – Ines McKeon and Deepti Sharma
In the lower middle order, the Melbourne Stars women have the duo of Deepti Sharma and Ines McKeon. The duo can finish the innings well and contribute with the ball. Deepti is the most experienced of the two, having played at the highest level for India. Ines has been impressive as a bowler. When needed, she can add some runs lower down the order. Their lower middle order is formidable.
Bowlers – Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, and Sophie Day
The bowling attack of the Stars women does not seem too threatening. While they have some talented names on the paper, they have gone for runs in the ongoing tournament. The bowling unit needs to step up against the Heat women who have a good batting lineup. Garth will be the key bowler in the lineup given her exposure to quality players. Gibson and Day need to be at their best as well.
Melbourne Stars Women’s Playing XI against the Brisbane Heat Women –
Sophie Reid (WK), Annabel Sutherland (C ), Meg Lanning, Marizanne Kapp, Tess Flintoff, Rhys McKena, Deepti Sharma, Ines MacKeon, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, and Sophie Day
Disclaimer: This exclusive news is based on the author’s insights, analysis, and intuition. While reviewing this information, consider the points discussed and form your own conclusions.