Sophie Devine has produced a stunning all-round performance to power Perth Scorchers to a six-wicket thrashing of Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval.
Having reclaimed the mantle as this season’s leading Women’s Big Bash League wicket-taker by claiming 2-18 in the first innings as the Stars posted 6-136, the New Zealander followed up by hammering 55 from 24 deliveries to all but ensure her side would keep their unbeaten start to the season alive.
Her brutal knock — which was her first since she opted to tactically retire after struggling to get the ball away in Thursday’s victory over Sydney Thunder — featured eight boundaries and three sixes.
Devine understatedly said she had batted “a bit better than the other night”.
“That’s cricket, isn’t it. Some days, it’s just not your day, and today, I felt pretty good, so I tried to go with it,” Devine told Seven.
“That’s something we speak about as a group and even personally, in terms of making sure that you’re staying really consistent and level. Cricket can be a dog of a game sometimes, and if you’re going to ride the highs and lows, you’re going to get pretty tired.
“The beautiful thing about this team is we know everyone contributes and everyone has a role to play, and if it’s your day, you make sure you cash in, and likewise, knowing someone else is going to try and stick their hand up too.
“When you’ve got a group of people together aiming for the same thing, it makes decisions like that (retiring) pretty easy.”
Devine’s star turn with the bat came as part of her third sizeable partnership of the tournament with her captain Beth Mooney, who made 28. The pair’s 72-run second-wicket stand was their 21st worth more than 50 in the seven WBBL seasons they have played together.
A victory completed with 30 deliveries in hand finished off an unbeaten three-game road trip for the Scorchers, who will return to Perth at the top of the competition’s ladder ahead of a two-game home stand at the WACA Ground in the coming week.
After saying her side was eagerly looking forward to returning to Perth, Devine said they still had plenty of room left for improvement.
“I think with our bowling, we’re still probably missing a little bit on line, giving away a few too many freebies — I’m being super critical here, but I think that’s what you need to do to keep pushing in this competition, because every team is so dangerous,” she said.
“We’ve had a great start, but it doesn’t mean anything unless we carry on and keep evolving as a group.”
Having been given a life when her former Australia teammate Alana King was unable to catch a difficult chance on the boundary she offered on 19, the legendary Meg Lanning (56) set about playing a lone hand with the bat for the Stars.
As a succession of partners came and went, she settled into an anchor role before accelerating through the power surge, smashing a pair of boundaries in its first over either side of a quick single to bring up her half-century.
The Stars’ theme of losing a wicket every time they aimed to accelerate continued when Lanning shovelled Devine — who had earlier bowled their other star Annabel Sutherland for 14 — to Chloe Piparo at short fine-leg at the start of the 18th over.
But they were able to take some momentum into the innings break thanks to lower-order hitter Georgia Prestwidge, who got them closer to a competitive total by smashing a pair of sixes in her 23 not out from 11 balls.
After left-arm Stars spinner Sophie Day bowled out-of-form Scorchers opener Katie Mack for two, Devine entered the fray at No.3 and deposited the first ball she faced over the boundary.
Already having taken 16 runs from her first seven deliveries in a fast start, the veteran’s brutality only grew as her innings wore on.
She was particularly savage on England imports Charlie Dean and Danni Gibson, taking an over bowled by the former for 18 to move along to 34 from 13 balls and bringing up her half-century from 21 by smashing the latter for six.
Her match-winning performance ended by chipping Day to mid-wicket, and Freya Kemp (2) and Mooney shortly followed.
But with the sting all but out of the game, opportunity-starved middle-order pair Mikayla Friday (24 not out) and Chloe Piparo (19 not out) were able to enjoy some important time in the middle.
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