Watch: A dubious decision off the last ball helped the Melbourne Stars beat the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL 2023/24 opener.

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Asked to bat at the North Sydney Oval, the Melbourne Stars posted 165-8. Meg Lanning top scored with a 34-ball 55. Once she fell, however, Lauren Cheatle (2-37) and Ash Gardner (2-23) ensured the Stars did not amass an unsurmountable total.

The Sydney Sixers were then reduced to 71-6 before Gardner took charge. Gardner (72 in 44 balls) added 84 for the seventh wicket with Maitlan Brown (35 in 22), and the Sixers needed eight off the last over, bowled by Alice Capsey.

The first five balls yielded four runs, including the run out of Kate Peterson off the fifth ball. With four to score, No.11 Cheatle walked out to face the last ball.

Bowling from round the wicket, Capsey’s line was some distance away from the left-handed Cheatle, who swung and missed. The ball was perilously close to – if not on the wrong side – of the marks on either end that assist the umpires.

However, the umpire did not rule a wide. Non-striker Linsey Smith sprinted for a bye. Cheatle’s delayed response got them the run, but that did little good other than help the Sixers marginally improve their net run rate.

Watch the dubious non-wide call that ended the WBBL 2023/24 opener:

The decision certainly did not amuse Lisa Sthalekar.

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