Sophie Devine and Alana King shared seven wickets between them to help Perth Scorchers defend a modest total and secure a 15-run win over Melbourne Stars in a low-scoring WBBL contest at Junction Oval on Monday (November 2).

Defending 124, the Scorchers were indebted to Devine's 4 for 19 and King's 3 for 17 as they bowled out the Stars for 109 in 18.1 overs. The victory took the Scorchers to second in the early-season standings with two wins from as many matches, while the Stars sit fifth with one win from three outings.

Having opted to bowl, the Stars restricted the Scorchers to a low score, with Maisy Gibson, Charlotte Dean and Sophie Day picking up two wickets apiece. Perth made a promising start through Katie Mack and Beth Mooney, who put on 37 for the opening wicket, but struggled to maintain that momentum. Devine and Freya Kemp fell early as the innings unravelled in the middle overs, with the Scorchers losing four wickets for six runs to slip to 76 for 7.

Alana King provided some resistance with a 21-ball 18, while Chloe Ainsworth (16) and Lilly Mills (13*) chipped in to take the total past 120. The 21 extras, including 17 wides, conceded by the Stars also proved useful to the visitors.

The chase got off to a disastrous start for Melbourne, with Rhys McKenna falling off the first ball to Ainsworth. Devine then struck twice in the fourth over, removing Amy Jones and Annabel Sutherland to leave the Stars at 30 for 3. King added to their troubles by dismissing Naomi Stalenberg, but Meg Lanning kept the chase alive with a measured 41 off 36 balls.

Lanning found some support from Charlotte Dean, with the pair adding 36 for the fifth wicket to briefly steady the innings. However, Devine returned to break the stand, having Dean stumped for 13 before accounting. When Lanning fell to Amy Edgar for a 36-ball 41, the Stars were tottering at 79 for 6. Devine then claimed her fourth wicket by dismissing Danielle Gibson, effectively ending the hosts' hopes of a recovery.

King took care of the lower order, dismissing Kim Garth and Maisy Gibson to finish with three wickets. The Stars lost their last five wickets for 30 runs and were bowled out for 109, falling 15 runs short.

Brief scores: Perth Scorchers 124/9 in 20 overs (Alana King 18; Maisy Gibson 2-10, Sophie Day 2-17) beat Melbourne Stars 109 in 18.1 overs (Meg Lanning 41; Sophie Devine 4-19, Alana King 3-17) by 15 runs