WBBL|12 Opening Day Results: Thunder and Stars Start With Wins
Published on October 30, 2026
Summary Overview: Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Renegades by 6 wickets as Georgia Voll took 4 for 26, then Melbourne Stars beat champions Hobart Hurricanes by 18 runs under the new Junction Oval lights, with Meg Lanning hitting 71 and Annabel Sutherland 57 and 3 for 34.
Who won the opening game? Sydney Thunder, by 6 wickets with 18 balls to spare. Melbourne Renegades made 138 for 9, and the Thunder reached 140 for 4 in 17 overs.
Who won the night game? Melbourne Stars, by 18 runs. They made 192 for 4, and defending champions Hobart Hurricanes finished on 174 for 8.
Who were the Players of the Match? Georgia Voll (Thunder) for 4 for 26, a run-out and 25 off 18, and Annabel Sutherland (Stars) for 57 off 36 and 3 for 34.
What's next? The Brisbane Heat host the Sydney Sixers on Friday, October 30.
Match 1: Sydney Thunder Beat Melbourne Renegades by 6 Wickets
For readers new to cricket: in a T20 match, each team bats for up to 20 overs (an over is six legal deliveries). A team wins by wickets when it chases down the target. In the WBBL, the batting team also gets a two-over Power Surge, when fewer fielders are allowed outside the circle.
Renegades' Innings: A Strong Start, Then Five for 2
The Renegades were sent in to bat, and Hayley Matthews, back after missing last season through shoulder surgery, made an immediate impact. She and Courtney Webb (22 off 24) put on 56 for the first wicket, and Matthews made 45 off 30 balls before Hannah Darlington had her caught by Lauren Bell. Darlington removed both openers and finished with 2 for 29.
Off-spinner Georgia Voll then took over. She removed captain Sophie Molineux, and Georgia Wareham (23 off 19) and Chloe Tryon added 31 to reach 117 for 4. Then, across the 17th and 18th overs, the Renegades lost five wickets for 2 runs in seven balls. Voll had Tryon, Deandra Dottin and Wareham caught, ran out Nicole Faltum, and Nadine de Klerk removed Milly Illingworth.
At 119 for 9, the Renegades were in danger of a very low total, but Annie Wikman (9 not out) and Tayla Vlaeminck (10 not out) added an unbroken 19 for the last wicket to reach 138 for 9. Voll finished with 4 for 26.
Thunder's Chase: Learoyd's Career-Best
Voll then helped start the chase with 25 off 18, hitting the Thunder's only six of the match, before Tess Flintoff had her caught behind. Captain Phoebe Litchfield fell to Dottin for 14.
Anika Learoyd, batting at three, made a career-best 48 off 37 with nine fours, and she and Heather Knight added 62 off 44 balls for the third wicket, taking 28 runs from the Power Surge. Tayla Vlaeminck, playing her first WBBL game after five injury-hit seasons, bowled Learoyd and removed Laura Harris two balls later to finish with 2 for 23.
Knight (29 not out off 22) and de Klerk (12 not out off 6, with three fours) finished the job with 18 balls to spare.
Match 2: Melbourne Stars Beat Hobart Hurricanes by 18 Runs
The first T20 under the new Junction Oval lights.
Stars' Innings: Lanning and Sutherland Add 109
The Hurricanes, led by new captain Nicola Carey, chose to bowl. Chinelle Henry removed Rhys McKenna, and Amy Jones was run out by Lizelle Lee, leaving the Stars 51 for 2 in the seventh over.
Meg Lanning, back as Stars captain, and Annabel Sutherland then added 109 off 66 balls for the third wicket. Lanning made 71 off 52 balls with 10 fours, her 35th WBBL half-century, and Sutherland hit 57 off 36 with five fours and two sixes. Heather Graham, playing her 150th WBBL match, trapped both of them lbw in the 18th over to finish with 2 for 31, but Dani Gibson (22 not out off 11) and Kim Garth added 27 off 14 balls to lift the Stars to 192 for 4.
Hurricanes' Chase: A Fast Start, Then the Squeeze
Garth bowled Chamari Athapaththu for 10, but Lizelle Lee hit 57 off 33 balls with six fours and three sixes, and she and Rachel Trenaman (24 off 17) added 59. The champions were around 103 for 2 after 10 overs, right on course.
The second half of the chase belonged to the Stars' bowlers. Garth removed Lee, caught by Lanning, at 108 for 3. Off-spinner Charlie Dean conceded just 13 runs from her four overs and bowled Graham in the 15th over. Dani Gibson bowled Maddy Green and had Lauren Smith stumped, and Sutherland removed Trenaman, Carey (32 off 25) and Ruth Johnston to finish with 3 for 34. The Hurricanes ended on 174 for 8, 18 short.
Turning Points
Match 1: The Renegades' collapse of five wickets for 2 runs in seven balls left them short of a competitive total, and the Thunder never looked troubled chasing 139.
Match 2: Hobart were around 103 for 2 at halfway, needing roughly 90 from 60 balls. Charlie Dean's four overs for 13 runs choked the scoring, and the wickets followed.
Stat Corner
Top Performers
| Player | Team | Performance |
| Georgia Voll | Sydney Thunder | 4 for 26, a run-out and 25 (18), Player of the Match |
| Anika Learoyd | Sydney Thunder | 48 (37), 9 fours, career-best |
| Heather Knight | Sydney Thunder | 29* (22) |
| Hannah Darlington | Sydney Thunder | 2 for 29 (4 overs) |
| Hayley Matthews | Melbourne Renegades | 45 (30), 6 fours, 1 six |
| Tayla Vlaeminck | Melbourne Renegades | 2 for 23 (4 overs), and 10* (9) |
| Annabel Sutherland | Melbourne Stars | 57 (36) and 3 for 34, Player of the Match |
| Meg Lanning (c) | Melbourne Stars | 71 (52), 10 fours |
| Charlie Dean | Melbourne Stars | 1 for 13 (4 overs) |
| Kim Garth | Melbourne Stars | 2 for 36 (4 overs) |
| Dani Gibson | Melbourne Stars | 22* (11) and 2 for 25 (3 overs) |
| Lizelle Lee (wk) | Hobart Hurricanes | 57 (33), 6 fours, 3 sixes |
| Heather Graham | Hobart Hurricanes | 2 for 31 (4 overs), in her 150th WBBL match |
* not out
Scores
| Match | Batting first | Chasing | Result |
| 1 | Melbourne Renegades 138/9 (20) | Sydney Thunder 140/4 (17) | Thunder won by 6 wickets |
| 2 | Melbourne Stars 192/4 (20) | Hobart Hurricanes 174/8 (20) | Stars won by 18 runs |
Playing XIs
| Team | Playing XI |
| Melbourne Renegades | Courtney Webb, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux (c), Georgia Wareham, Tess Flintoff, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum (wk), Annie Wikman, Milly Illingworth, Tayla Vlaeminck |
| Sydney Thunder | Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield (c), Anika Learoyd, Heather Knight, Laura Harris, Nadine de Klerk, Tahlia Wilson (wk), Hannah Darlington, Hasrat Gill, Lauren Bell, Sam Bates |
| Melbourne Stars | Rhys McKenna, Meg Lanning (c), Amy Jones (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Dani Gibson, Kim Garth, Naomi Stalenberg, Charlie Dean, Carly Leeson, Maisy Gibson, Sophie Day |
| Hobart Hurricanes | Lizelle Lee (wk), Chamari Athapaththu, Rachel Trenaman, Nicola Carey (c), Heather Graham, Maddy Green, Chinelle Henry, Ruth Johnston, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Ira Aery |
Hobart were without England's Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Linsey Smith was ruled out with a quad injury.
WBBL|12 Table After Opening Day
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | Net Run Rate |
| Sydney Thunder | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +1.335 |
| Melbourne Stars | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +0.900 |
| Hobart Hurricanes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -0.900 |
| Melbourne Renegades | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -1.335 |
| Adelaide Strikers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Brisbane Heat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Perth Scorchers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sydney Sixers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Net run rate compares how fast a team scores with how fast its opponents score.
What's Next
| Match | Date | Fixture | Venue | Local | IST |
| 3 | Fri, Oct 30 | Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers | Allan Border Field, Brisbane | 6:10 PM AEST | 1:40 PM |
| 4 | Sat, Oct 31 | Adelaide Strikers vs Melbourne Stars | Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide | 3:10 PM ACDT | 10:10 AM |
| 5 | Sat, Oct 31 | Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Renegades | WACA Ground, Perth | 4:10 PM AWST | 1:40 PM |
| 6 | Sun, Nov 1 | Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat | Drummoyne Oval, Sydney | 3:40 PM AEDT | 10:10 AM |
| 7 | Sun, Nov 1 | Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes | Drummoyne Oval, Sydney | 7:10 PM AEDT | 1:40 PM |
For Pakistan, subtract 30 minutes from the IST times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the first match of WBBL 2026?
- Sydney Thunder, who beat Melbourne Renegades by 6 wickets at Junction Oval.
Who won Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes?
- Melbourne Stars, by 18 runs.
Who were the Players of the Match?
- Georgia Voll (Thunder) and Annabel Sutherland (Stars).
Who is the Hobart Hurricanes captain?
- Nicola Carey, who takes over from the retired Elyse Villani.
When do the Sydney Sixers play their first game?
- Friday, October 30, 2026, against Brisbane Heat at Allan Border Field (6:10 PM AEST, 1:40 PM IST).
Related Guides and Series Coverage
📋 WBBL 2026 Schedule: Full WBBL|12 Fixtures, Venues and Times