Ability to fight back will hold us in good stead: Meg Lanning

After coasting through the first half of the tournament, Melbourne Stars have been pushed to the brink twice in two games. First, they lost a nerve jangling encounter against Melbourne Renegades in the Super Over, before keeping their calm to steal a thrilling six-run win over Perth Scorchers on Tuesday (November 17).

Skipper Meg Lanning said she was proud of the character shown by the team on both occasions, fighting their way back into the game when it looked like the opposition would run away with a win.

“In the last two games we've been able to fight back, which I think is really important in T20 cricket. You are not going to have it your own way all the time, so I think it's a really good trait to have,” Lanning said.

“We've played some good cricket in the early part of the tournament where we've been able to get ahead of the game, and now we've been able to fight back which is going to hold us in good stead at the back end of the tournament.”

In their match on Tuesday, Stars’ bowlers, led by the spin duo of Sophie Day (3-16) and Alana King (2-15), masterminded a heist that caused the Scorchers to collapse from 78 for 1 in 10 overs – needing a further 72 to win – to 102 for 5 in the next five overs. They took their side from chasing the game, to absolutely bossing it.

Lanning heaped praise on the spin duo, saying they showed great control and temperament to dry up the runs on a ground with one very short boundary. The Stars skipper admitted that their spells turned the match.

“I thought Tess Flintoff, again, showed some real class and Rosemary Mair who came in for our first game ,which was great, she was able to finish it off.”

“I actually thought our two spinners today, Alana King and Sophie Day, were the stars. They changed the game and were able to bowl with a really short boundary here for a number of overs and to be able to hold their nerve was excellent.”

The 28-year-old singled out Sophie Day as someone who really impressed her. She said the left-arm spinner, who made her WBBL debut earlier this season, was finally reaping the rewards for all the work she has put in over the years.

“Sophie Day's still very new to the game and she just listens and wants to do her best for the team. She works really hard. She bowls so many balls it's not funny, and it's great to see her put out a really good performance under pressure.”

Earlier in the day, it was Lanning’s fifth half-century of the season that set the platform for the Stars. The skipper smashed eight fours and one six in her 39-ball 57, sharing a 99-run stand with Mignon du Preez, who also chipped in with 55.

Lanning’s dismissal in the 12^th over – caught at mid-off off the bowling of Nicole Bolton – triggered a bit of a collapse, with Scorchers managing only 48 runs in the next eight overs of the innings. While admitting that is was not the ideal way to end the innings, the skipper added that she was pleased with the intent shown by the batters.

“It's not ideal obviously, but I think we had really good intent,” Lanning said of the batting collapse. “We just need to play a little bit straighter. It was skidding on a fair bit on this wicket, so that's something to keep in mind for tomorrow.”

“But that's going to happen. Momentum is going to swing through the game. So, it was nice that we were able to have a good couple of overs at the back end and fight back with the ball.”

Meg Lanning finds the boundary to bring up her fifth half-century of the season!

Stars motoring along, watch live: https://t.co/WqZgXrzvm5 #WBBL06 pic.twitter.com/EvT7zzfHHB

— Rebel Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 17, 2020

With three games remaining, Stars have all but sealed their place in the top four. They are currently at the top of the table with 17 points, trailed by the trio of Brisbane Heat, Sydney Thunder and Perth Scorchers who are all on 12 points. Over the next five days, Stars will face Hobart Hurricanes (November 18), Brisbane Heat (November 21) and Sydney Sixers (November 22), and Lanning is hoping that her side continue their good run of form and secure a semi-final spot.

“There's no doubt you want to lock in that semi-final spot. That's the first aim for every team, I think. Hopefully we can do that sooner rather than later.”

“ it's just about feeling good at the back end of the tournament, making sure everyone's confident, and really clear on what their role is in the team. So, I think we're working really well towards that, but we need to keep winning and we want to keep playing some good aggressive cricket, so we're looking forward to that.”