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Skipper Suzie Bates has re-injured her right shoulder during the Adelaide Strikers' five-wicket loss to the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL.
The Melbourne Stars have extended their club-record winning run to five matches after posting a five-wicket WBBL victory over the Adelaide Strikers in Sydney.
In reply to the Strikers' 7-140 on Tuesday, the Stars reached the target with three balls to spare, with Mignon du Preez (61 off 51) and Elyse Villani (46 off 43 balls) leading the way.
The result lifted the Stars three points clear at the top of the table after eight games, but the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers can close that gap with wins in their respective matches on Wednesday.
The unbeaten Stars have piled on five straight wins since their first three games were washed out, giving them the perfect platform to secure a maiden finals berth.
Adelaide are clinging to fourth spot, and they were dealt a huge blow when star Kiwi Suzie Bates suffered what looked like a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Strikers captain immediately cradled her right shoulder in pain after attempting to throw the ball from the deep.
It was her first game of the season since recovering from an injury to the same shoulder and she will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Bates scored 28 off 23 balls before she was stumped.
Laura Wolvaardt (46 off 40) top-scored for Adelaide, but a star display with the ball from Natalie Sciver (4-29) ensured the Strikers' total never ballooned out.
In contrast to the high-flying Stars, the Melbourne Renegades remain mired to the bottom of the ladder after suffering a nine-run loss to the Hobart Hurricanes in Tuesday's evening match.
The Hurricanes made 7-143 on the back of handy contributions from Rachel Priest (42 off 37) and Chloe Tryon (36 off 23).
In reply the Renegades could only muster 5-134, with Lizelle Lee (38 off 31), Courtney Webb (32 off 25), and Amy Satterthwaite (30 off 36) all making starts but failing to go on with the job.
Belinda Vakarewa (2-20) and Hayley Matthews (2-19) led the way with the ball for the Hurricanes.
The result leaves the Renegades with one win and five losses from their eight matches, with the two other games rained out.
Hobart (two wins, four losses, two no results) moved to equal fifth with the Perth Scorchers, who play the Sixers on Wednesday.
