Thunder roll Stars in WBBL Border Bash

A sparkling half-century from Rachael Haynes has lifted the Sydney Thunder to an emphatic eight-wicket Rebel WBBL win over an outclassed Melbourne Stars in Albury.

The Australia captain was in vintage form at Lavington Sports Ground on Tuesday, with her hard-hitting 54 coming from just 33 deliveries, as the Thunder reached 2-115 to ease past the Stars' 8-114 with with 5.3 of their 20 overs remaining.

Fellow opener Rachel Priest scored 38 from 35 balls in an 86-run opening stand as the pair threatened to go past the opposition tally on their own.

The Melbourne innings started promisingly, with Lizelle Lee (31) and Anna Lanning (25) putting on 40 for the first wicket at better than a run-a-ball.

However, in a calamitous period, the Stars lost their way as six wickets fell for 33 runs.

Spinner Harmanpreet Kaur (3-16) and medium pacer Nicola Carey (2-17) inflicted most of the damage on the Thunder batting.

It was a second win from three outings for the Thunder who bounced back from their narrow Sydney derby loss on Sunday in style.

The Stars have two defeats from as many games, and meet the same opponents again on Saturday in Sydney.