The Melbourne Stars suffered a crucial defeat just before the playoffs as the Sydney Thunder, led by skipper Phoebe Litchfield, dismantled the Stars by nine wickets in a rain-affected finale at the Junction Oval, Melbourne.
In the match, which was forced to be shortened to 10 overs per side due to persistent rain, Stars, batting first, managed only 66 for 6.
In response, skipper Litchfield and rising star Georgia Voll made light work of the revised target of 76, reaching it with 17 balls to spare. Voll remained unbeaten on 33 from 18 balls, and Litchfield scored 37 from 23 before falling near the end.
Now, the Stars will have to watch out for other results, mainly the upcoming clash between Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat. If the Scorchers win, they will leapfrog the Stars and claim the second playoff spot.