Annabel Sutherland’s late power hitting and smarts with the ball helped take the Melbourne Stars to a crucial seven-run WBBL win over Perth Scorchers.

After Stars lost 3-0 midway through their innings at Junction Oval, Sutherland smashed 49 off 27 to help her side recover to 154 for 7.

Sutherland then took 2 for 31, including the key wicket of Scorchers’ top-scorer Maddy Darke, to put paid to a late fightback.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Stars, who had been beaten by Adelaide Strikers twice and Brisbane Heat once in the past week and a half.

And much like their other win this season over Sydney Sixers, they had player-of-the-match Sutherland to thank for it.

With Stars battling midway through their innings, Sutherland swung the momentum when she hit spinner Lilly Mills for 22 off one over. The big over included a powerful blow back over Mills’ head for six, as well as three other boundaries against the spinner.

After taking 2 for 41 herself, Mills eventually caught Sutherland with her hands over the long-on boundary rope late in the innings to put an end to the onslaught.

But Scorchers were on the back foot from early in their chase, with left-arm spinner Sophie Day taking 4 for 27.

Day’s wickets included key overseas marquees Sophie Devine and Amy Jones for 9 each, while she also removed Chloe Piparo and Amy Edgar.

Rising talent Darke had threatened to keep Scorchers in the hunt with 45 off 33, but Sutherland had her caught on the rope in the 15th over during the power surge.

The allrounder then removed Lisa Griffith next ball for a golden duck, taking the pace off as she delivered it out the back of her hand to have the right-hander swinging hard and caught at gully.

From there the Scorchers fell well out of the contest and to a 2-2 record, with only 21 runs from the final over off Alice Capsey adding respectability to the scorecard.