Given how the Stars’ chase began, 164/5 seemed herculean. Stars lost Rhys McKenna, Amy Jones, Annabel Sutherland and Meg Lanning inside the PowerPlay for just 30 runs. Bouchier and Kim Garth pushed back from there with an 82-run partnership off 57 deliveries to keep the chase alive. The team headed into the death overs needing 53 off 30 balls but were severely dented straightaway. Gardner returned and broke the partnership with the wicket of Garth. Danielle Gibson arrived and kept the fielding team on their toes by cracking two fours in the 16th over. She hit another four off Amelia Kerr in the 17th over but Mady Villiers took out Bouchier in the 18th over. Only three more runs came from that over, leaving the Stars to get 31 off 12. Maitlan Brown bowled an exceptional penultimate over, conceding just fours and dismissing Gibson. The Stars needed 27 off the last over and managed just 10 to suffer the defeat.
