Sutherland dominated the WBBL game with both bat and ball, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 29 balls after taking 3 for 37, a haul which included Renegades top-scorer Josephine Dooley (54)
St Kilda: Melbourne Renegades 148-8, Melbourne Stars 149-5 - Melboune Stars won by five wickets
Annabel Sutherland crashed three sixes in the final over as Melbourne Stars chased 149 to defeat Melbourne Renegades by five wickets in the WBBL.
Sutherland dominated the Melbourne derby with both bat and ball, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 29 balls after taking 3 for 37, a haul which included Renegades top-scorer Josephine Dooley (54).
Sasha Moloney took 4 for 15 for the Stars to further restrict the Renegades but, when her side ended up needing 23 off the final over of the game, this looked to be in vain.
Annabel Sutherland smashed Melbourne Stars to victory [Getty Images]
Sutherland saved the day, however.
She clattered two sixs from the first three ball off Sophie Molineux, who had to then be helped off the field with a knee injury.
Georgia Prestwidge took over, and a wide, two singles and another six followed to keep Stars in contention for the knockout phase.
Earlier, a fourth-wicket partnership worth 50 between Dooley and Courtney Webb had settled a faltering Renegades innings from 28 for 3 to 78 for 4.
A flurry of boundaries meant the last two overs went for 29 and gave the Renegades a burst of momentum to take into their bowling innings.
Stars won the derby by five wickets [Getty Images]
A Stars batting order that has been low of runs throughout the tournament struggled again, Sutherland aside, with Kim Garth's 16 off 15 the only other innings which featured a strike rate above a run a ball.
Sarah Coyte was impressive with 3 fpr 22 in her, and Sophie Molineux had bowled 13 dot balls in her first three overs to heap pressure onto the chasing Stars.