WBBL 2023: Melbourne Stars set lowest score in Women's T20 history
Melbourne Stars women on Saturday, October 21, ended up with an unwanted record in the 4th match of WBBL 2023. They sustained a 148-run crushing defeat against defending champions Adelaide Strikers at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
Adelaide Strikers bowled out Stars for a paltry 29 in just 9.3 overs after putting up 177 for 3 on the back of opener Katie Mack's splendorous 86 off 50 balls. This is the lowest total set by a team in the history of Women's T20.
Bangladesh women held the previous record of 30 against Pakistan in the second T20I played between the two sides at Cox's Bazar on October 3, 2018.
Coming back to the WBBL steamroll, Adelaide pacer Megan Schutt (3/3) and leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington (3/4) ran through the Stars batting unit. The stars comprised the likes of credible batters, Meg Lanning, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey.
Zimbabwe leg-spinner Anesu Mushangwe picked the key wickets of Dunkley and Capsey in the third over. The all-rounder Tahila McGrath also added a couple of scalps to bundle out Stars, with not a single batter managing to reach double-digit scores (Sophia Dunkley's 9 was the best).
What is the lowest T20 total of all time?
Melbourne Stars women have only recorded the lowest T20 score in WBBL and women's T20 cricket. However, the lowest T20 score is named after Isle of Man, who were bowled out for just 10 runs in a T20I match versus Spain earlier in February this year.
Isle of Man took over the record set by Sydney Thunder in the BBL 2022/23 season. It was again Adelaide Strikers (men's team) to annihilate the Sydney batting order for just 15 runs in 5.5 overs. Before this, the lowest T20 score was etched by Turkey - 21 - against the Czech Republic in August 2019.