A quickfire knock of 47 runs off only 28 balls from Harmanpreet Kaur was not enough to take her team home as Sydney Thunders lost their tournament opener by six runs to Melbourne Stars.

Batting first, Melbourne Stars scored 147 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Mag Lenning and Emma Inglis gave the Stars a flying start by adding 79 runs off only 53 balls for the first wicket. However, both the players fell in quick succession and their team never recovered from it. They kept on losing wickets at regular intervals but Katie Marks held firm from one end and scored 30 to help her team get to a decent total.

In reply, the defending champions began their chase cautiously as their openers added 50 runs in 49 balls for the first wicket. However, three wickets inside 27 runs derailed their chase. But Kaur, playing her first game in the BBL, played brilliantly to take her team agonisingly close to a victory. The India women’s team captain took some time to settle down and scored 10 from the first 10 balls but then hit the top gear as she hit 37 from the next 18 balls to keep the Thunder in the hunt. But her heroics were not enough as the Thunders fell short by six runs in the end.