Melbourne Stars women have not had a great tournament in the ongoing WBBL 2024. They have won two and lost five of their seven matches in the league so far. Their upcoming challenge would be to take on the table toppers, Sydney Thunder women, who have been ticking most boxes better than other teams. The Stars women have a difficult challenge ahead of them.
In the last 5 games, the Stars have managed a solitary win. The match is set to take place at Drummoyne Oval, which doesn’t help their cause either. They need a better performance from the individuals than they have delivered so far. A loss against the Thunder women would nearly mean their elimination from the season. Hence, the Stars women would be looking to win their upcoming game at all costs.
Here’s the Predicted Melbourne Stars Women’s Playing XI against the Sydney Thunder Women:
Top Order
The Melbourne Stars women’s top order has a good mix of talent and experience. Their opening duo consists of the likes of Yastika Bhatia and Annabel Sutherland. Both need to adapt quickly to turn things around for the visiting side. The key batter in their lineup is Meg Lanning, who will be batting at 3. The experienced player can anchor the innings well and bat aggressively when needed.
Middle Order
Much like the top order, the middle order of the Stars women consists of a mix of the youth and the experienced players. Marizanne Kapp is likely to continue at number 4. She has been one of the best All-rounders in the world for a long time. To follow her are the emerging talents like Tess Flintoff and Rhys McKena. Both of them must step up as the Stars desperately need runs from their blade.
Lower Middle Order
Stars’ lower middle order is good. Deepti Sharma and Kim Garth form a good All-rounders pair. While Deepti can win matches on her own both as a batter and as a bowler, Garth can step up as a bowler with some useful contribution as a batter lower down the order. They must step up for their side against the best team of the league so far.
Bowlers
The bowling attack of the Stars women, apart from the All-rounders, doesn’t seem threatening. There are a lot of inexperienced bowlers like Sasha Moloney, Maisy Gibson, and Sophie Day. It has been one of the reasons behind their poor show in the league so far. They need to step up and concede as few runs as possible. They must also take wickets to put a break to their opponents’ innings.
Melbourne Stars Women’s Playing XI against the Sydney Thunder Women –
Yastika Bhatia (WK), Annabel Sutherland (C ), Meg Lanning, Marizanne Kapp, Tess Flintoff, Rhys McKena, Deepti Sharma, Kim Garth, Sasha Moloney, 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.