Melbourne Stars pace-bowling all-rounder Kim Garth believes the difference between another frustrating WBBL campaign and a genuine title push lies not in talent or planning, but in the ability to win the moments that decide tight matches.
Speaking on The Scoop women’s cricket podcast with Rana Hussain, the Australian 30-year-old was candid about a start that has yielded one win from three games in WBBL 12, which runs from 29 October to 5 December 2026. “I think for us, where we’ve probably missed out over the past few years, is just our ability to get over the line,” Garth said.
“We find ourselves in really good positions very often and put ourselves in good positions to win games. Being able to find a way to win in those close games, I think too often we’ve found ourselves on the wrong side of the result when it can go either way.”
It is a pointed diagnosis from a player who has seen the Stars’ recurring pattern up close. Melbourne remain the only franchise yet to lift the WBBL title since the competition’s inaugural season in 2015, and their opening fortnight has followed a familiar script: competitiveness, near-misses, and a failure to convert pressure into points.
The Stars began brightly, defeating defending champions Hobart Hurricanes by 18 runs at Junction Oval in the second match of the opening day on 29 October. But back-to-back losses have exposed the fine margins Garth described. Tahlia McGrath’s Adelaide Strikers beat them by 21 runs at Karen Rolton Oval on 31 October, before Beth Mooney’s Perth Scorchers edged a low-scoring thriller by 15 runs at Junction Oval on 2 November.
Kim Garth did not hide from her own role in that Perth defeat. She admitted she “lost sleep” after being trapped lbw attempting a reverse sweep against Alana King, describing it as a lapse in shot selection at a crucial stage. For a side chasing 125, ending in a 15-run defeat, such moments carry disproportionate weight, and Garth’s willingness to own them reflects the accountability the Stars need if they are to alter their narrative.
There are encouraging signs beneath the 1–2 record. Meg Lanning, reinstated as captain on 12 October after Annabel Sutherland stepped down from the role earlier that month, has led from the front with the bat. She is currently the tournament’s leading run-scorer, with 144 runs at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 128.57 from three innings, including a half-century.
In the bowling attack, leg-spinner Maisy Gibson has been equally influential, sharing the Stars’ leading wicket-taker honours with four wickets at 11.50 and an economy rate of 6.57 across three matches alongside Annabel Sutherland. Those contributions suggest Melbourne have the individual quality to compete; Garth’s message is that they must now become a team that finishes jobs and gets them over the line to add some vital points to keep their campaign alive.
The schedule offers little time for reflection. The Stars next face Ashleigh Gardner’s Sydney Sixers in the 12th match of WBBL 12 at the Junction Oval, Melbourne, on 6th November, from 1:40 PM IST. For Garth and Melbourne, it is another opportunity to prove that good positions can become victories, and, perhaps, that the league’s long-running near-miss story is finally ready for a different ending.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.