Nicole Faltum's career-best innings and Sarah Coyte's ice-cool bowling at the death have steered Melbourne Renegades to an important nine-run WBBL win over local rivals Melbourne Stars.
Faltum blasted an unbeaten 66 from 42 balls to lift the Renegades to 6-170 in the second game of Friday's double-header at the MCG.
The wicketkeeper then stumped Stars opener Yastika Bhatia (11 off eight) off left-armer Charis Bekker (1-17, two overs) as the Renegades restricted their opponents to 8-161.
The Gades strangled the Stars early in their run chase, with Hayley Matthews (2-27, four overs) and Deandra Dottin (2-32, four overs) claiming multiple wickets.
But Rhys McKenna (34 off 18) and Tess Flintoff (19 off 12) threatened to pull off a fightback with some quick scoring before Coyte (2-13, two overs) removed both Stars batters in the penultimate over.
Coyte took 2-4 in the 19th over, leaving the Stars with 18 to win off the last six balls as Matthews closed it out.
The result gave the Renegades a positive 5-3 record in second spot on the ladder, while the Stars are in danger of missing the finals at 2-4.
Faltum walked to the crease with the Renegades struggling at 5-48 in the eighth over and put on 67 runs for the sixth wicket with Georgia Wareham (34 off 32).
She added another 55 from just 22 balls with Georgia Prestwidge (23 not out off nine).
Those efforts helped the Renegades pull off another impressive win just four days after reaching a target of 186 away to Adelaide Strikers.
"There is just this belief amongst the group that we can win from anywhere," Faltum said.
"We didn't win our first two games but we still believed that we were right on task.
"Once you win the belief comes, but I think we had it before then. We're just really hoping that we can go all the way."
Earlier, Georgia Voll sent Sydney Thunder to the top of the WBBL ladder with a blistering innings that secured a thrilling seven-wicket win over Perth Scorchers on neutral turf.
The Thunder dropped five catches in a calamitous fielding display and Beth Mooney cashed in, hammering 97 from 64 balls as the Scorchers posted 5-170.
But Voll wouldn't be outdone by the competition's all-time leading run-scorer, responding with an unbeaten 97 from 56 deliveries to steer the Thunder to 3-173 with one over remaining.
It was the first time in three attempts this season the Thunder (5-2) have mounted a successful run-chase.
Voll hit 13 fours and a six in her career-best innings, surpassing the 92 she made against Adelaide Strikers earlier this month.
"It sits pretty high," the 21-year-old said of her player-of-the-match performance.
"To be chasing sort of a biggish total and to have the backing from the coaches to just go out there and play my way and for it to come off like this is pretty special."
Perth slipped to 4-3 with their loss but are still firmly in the finals frame.
