Redmayne's unbeaten 74 caps Heat's third win in a row

A captain's knock from Georgia Redmayne propelled Brisbane Heat past Melbourne Stars, with a third successive win lifting her side into the Women's Big Bash League top four.

Set 166 for victory, skipper Redmayne (74 not out off 50 deliveries) and Irish young gun Orla Prendergast (52 not out off 36) put Stars to the sword at Melbourne's Junction Oval on Thursday afternoon. The pair took control of the Heat's run chase to cruise to an eight-wicket win with seven balls to spare.

"Just really proud of that win," Redmayne said. "We did really well in the back 10 overs to keep them to that 165. At one point it looked like they may have put 180 on us. We put the squeeze on really well and we thought that may be a little under par, but to chase down a big total like that gives us a lot of confidence. It's the best chase we've done in many a year."

After in-form opener Charli Knott plundered 12 off the first over, fellow opener Grace Harris picked out Charlie Dean at point off a half-tracker from Kim Garth. Stars conceded 39 off three overs to put Heat in a strong position at 57 for 1 after six overs.

Australia allrounder Annabel Sutherland was injected to stop the rot, rattling Knott's stumps to remove her for 30 off 24 balls. An opportunity to run out Redmayne on 29 went begging when replays showed Stars wicketkeeper Amy Jones dropped the ball before taking off the bails. It proved to be the key moment of the match, with Redmayne and Prendergast compiling a 105-run partnership and remaining unbeaten at the death.

Earlier, Stars openers Meg Lanning (52 off 45) and Jones (74 off 52) motored to half-centuries of their own at better than a-run-a-ball. Sarah Glenn broke their 108-run opening stand after luring Lanning into a top edge. Sianna Ginger then snared the big wicket of Sutherland, courtesy of a diving catch from Annie O'Neil. Dani Gibson was gifted a life with a dropped catch in the deep, but Prendergast knocked her over five balls later. Smart glovework from Redmayne removed Jones, and Georgia Prestwidge also perished after belting a six and a four in the last over.

It was Stars' fourth straight loss, while Heat are sitting pretty in third with three victories on the bounce after going 706 days without a triumph.