The Cricketer takes a look at the Stars squad ahead of WBBL08
Coach: Jonathan Batty
Captain: Nicole Faltum
Overseas: Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Alice Capsey (England), Lauren Winfield-Hill (England)
Last season: Fifth
How did they do last year?
After reaching the final for the first time in 2020/21, Melbourne Stars were brought back down to earth last season, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth time in seven season.
Meg Lanning's side lost their opening two matches but bounced back with a run of four wins from seven matches (one no result) to put themselves firmly in contention for a top-four finish. However, losing three of their next four games cost the Stars a shot at the title and their nine-wicket victory over Adelaide Strikers in the final round of fixtures – a match which saw them chase down 176 – was merely consolatory.
Elyse Villani topped the run-scoring charts with 439 runs at a strike rate of 122.28 – nearly 200 runs clear of second-placed Meg Lanning (250 runs). Kim Garth (15 wickets) and Annabel Sutherland (14) did the bulk of the damage with the ball.
Meg Lanning will be absent in 2022 [Getty Images]
Who are their key players?
Lauren Winfield-Hill boasts a modest WBBL record, scoring 475 runs at a strike rate of 91.17 in 35 innings. However, she returns to Australia off the back of a stellar home summer during which almost everything she touched turned to gold.
In The Hundred, she scored 219 runs at a strike rate of 136.02 to help Oval Invincibles to back-to-back titles before steering Northern Diamonds to their maiden domestic title. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, she scored a tournament-leading 470 runs (one century, five half-centuries).
Not only in-form and pretty explosive opening batter, Winfield-Hill will also provide a safe pair of hands behind the stumps and 150-plus T20s worth of experience.
Big things will also be expected of rising star, and WBBL debutant, Alice Capsey. The 18-year-old, a two-time Hundred winner and Charlotte Edwards Cup champion (2021), has taken English domestic cricket in her stride and was also England's leading run-scorer at the Commonwealth Games, scoring 135 runs at a nifty strike rate of 116.37. Though best known as a top-order powder keg full, she is equally threatening with the ball, picking up 50 wickets and posting an economy of 6.24 in 55 T20s and looking at home in both the powerplay and middle overs.
And then there's Kim Garth. The former Ireland international, now qualified as a local player, was the Stars' player of the season in 2021, scoring 164 runs from around No.5 and also picking up a team-leading 15 wickets. A particular asset with the ball in the powerplay and at the death – she maintained an economy of 6.24 despite bowling largely in these two periods – the right-arm medium pacer will be expected to lead the attack alongside Australia international Sutherland.
What are their biggest strengths?
Batting was a major problem for the Stars in 2021/22. Across the competition, there were 27 150-plus totals posted, only one of which (against the Strikers in the final game of the season) belonged to the Stars, while when batting first they set totals in excess of 130 just twice in eight matches and were twice restricted to under 100.
Add in the fact they've lost both Villani (moved to Hobart Hurricanes) and Lanning (unavailable) for this season and batting might seem an odd selection as a strength.
However, they’ve targeted this area with their overseas signings and recruited Jemimah Rodrigues, Winfield-Hill and Capsey to join Annabel Sutherland and Kim Garth in the top five.
Rodrigues enjoyed a successful debut WBBL campaign last season, scoring 333 runs at a strike rate of 116.43 for cross-city rivals Melbourne Renegades, while Winfield-Hill is in something of a purple patch, scoring 315 runs in nine T20 outings (Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred) in 2022. Together, they have the potential to form a devastating opening partnership.
Capsey, meanwhile, who boasts a T20 strike rate of 128.57, can float around the top five and play the explosive role alongside steady scorers Sutherland and Garth, which should hopefully enable both players to express their natural games without having to worry about matching the power of Winfield-Hill and Rodrigues.
Lauren Winfield-Hill has been in good form in 2022 [Getty Images]
Where might they have a weakness?
Melbourne Stars boast an exciting top five. However, as with last season, their batting quickly tails off, with no one on the roster standing out as a lower-order gun/finisher, let alone a reliable run-scorer. Only five players – Villani, Garth, Lanning, Sutherland and Maia Bouchier (three of whom will not be in Stars green this season) – scored more than 100 runs last season, with Erin Osborne (now retired) the next highest with 45.
The Stars' bowling attack also inspires little confidence. Allrounders Garth and Sutherland, who took a combined 29 wickets last season, and Tess Flintoff (20 wickets in her past two seasons) lead the pace attack, but the squad is crying out for an out-and-out pacer such as Hannah Darlington, Maitlan Brown, or Issy Wong. All three bowlers are right-armers, too, which leaves the attack light on variety. Capsey’s right-arm offies are a shrewd addition to the spin department but both she and left-armer Sophie Day (15 wickets in 25 WBBL outings) are relatively inexperienced.
Lanning's absence (something the Stars plan to cover internally) is a surprise curveball but with the Stars crying out for some middle-order support, a fearsome pacer, probably an additional spinner, and an experienced head or two, putting all of their overseas eggs in the top-order basket might not have been the wisest move.
Chances of reaching the latter stages?
The Stars are very top heavy and there is a lot of pressure on their overseas trio to score big runs and simply blow teams away with the bat. If their gamble comes off, the results could be incredible. However, with their flaky middle order and the absence of an X-factor bowler, a top-four finish would be a surprise. On balance, it's probably not Melbourne Stars' year.
Strongest XI: Lauren Winfield-Hill, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Alice Capsey, Kim Garth, Tess Flintoff, Hasrat Gill, Sasha Moloney, Nicole Faltum, Rhys McKenna, Sophie Day
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