Lanning's Stars host a resurgent Brisbane Heat at Junction Oval after four straight defeats

Meg Lanning's Melbourne Stars have lost four in a row and sit seventh, and on Thursday they meet a Brisbane Heat side that has won twice since ending a 706-day wait for a victory

The Stars return to Junction Oval on Thursday afternoon for the 19th match of the Women's Big Bash League with one win from five, two points and a net run rate of -0.611. Only the winless Hobart Hurricanes sit below them.

Brisbane are travelling the other way. Two wins in three days this month carried them to fourth on four points and ended a drought that had run since the 2024 Challenger.

The two clubs have not met this season, and the Stars' problem has been one of margins: three of their four defeats have come by 21 runs or fewer, one of them by a single run.

Four defeats and a shrinking total

The Stars opened the season in good order, making 192 for 4 at Junction Oval and beating Hobart by 18 runs. Nothing since has come close.

They managed 164 for 7 chasing Adelaide's 185 for 2, were bowled out for 109 in 18.1 overs going after Perth's modest 124 for 9, then fell a run short of Sydney Sixers' 160 for 5 with 159 for 7.

Last Sunday at North Sydney Oval they posted 136 for 6 and watched Perth Scorchers knock it off in 15 overs. Richard Pyrah's side has not passed 165 since the opening weekend.

Lanning carrying the batting

The captain has been the one constant. Meg Lanning made 56 from 46 balls against Perth on Sunday and 41 from 36 against the same opponent a week earlier, the two highest Stars scores of the losing run.

Around her the contributions have been brief. Rhys McKenna's 40 from 31 in Adelaide and Dani Gibson's 31 from 20 against the Sixers are the next best.

The bowling has done enough. Maisy Gibson's 2-10 helped hold Perth to 124 for 9, and Sophie Day took 2-34 on Sunday.

A hundred that ended 706 days

Brisbane's season turned at Drummoyne Oval on 5 November, when Charli Knott made 104 from 61 balls with 12 fours and four sixes, her first WBBL century, in a total of 184 for 4 that Adelaide could not chase.

It was an unlikely source. Knott had averaged 13 last summer and around 19 across a 70-match WBBL career. She was run out in the 18th over after a mix-up with Yastika Bhatia, then returned to bowl four tight overs.

England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn finished with 2-19, removing Laura Wolvaardt for 75 and the Adelaide captain Tahlia McGrath for 13 as the Strikers fell 14 runs short.

"It feels so good - 706 is my new favourite number," Heat captain Georgia Redmayne said afterwards, adding that "Knotty was absolutely outstanding today, with the bat and the ball".

Redmayne's first season in charge

Georgia Redmayne took the captaincy this season from Jess Jonassen, who stepped down in March after leading the club in 81 WBBL matches and was then ruled out of the tournament with a hip problem.

India's Yastika Bhatia was signed as Jonassen's replacement. "Being able to sign such a quality, experienced international player so close to the tournament is great boost for us," Heat coach Mark Sorell said of the move.

Redmayne has contributed with the bat, making 58 from 44 against the Sixers, while Grace Harris hit 58 from 37 against Sydney Thunder.

What Thursday turns on

Brisbane's second win was the narrower and the more instructive: Hobart's 116 for 9 chased down at 119 for 6 in 18.2 overs, with Annie O'Neil 32 not out from 28 balls holding the innings together.

The Stars have played three times at Junction Oval this season and won once, the opening-weekend victory over Hobart. Both home defeats were by margins of a run and 15 runs.

Melbourne Stars Women v Brisbane Heat Women, 19th match of the Women's Big Bash League, Junction Oval, Thursday.