WBBL: Perth Scorchers star Alana King to clash in spin battle with Melbourne Renegades’ Sophie Molineux

Perth Scorchers weapon Alana King — the competition’s leading wicket-taker — is bound for a spin battle with Melbourne Renegades star Sophie Molineaux on Thursday night. King has taken 10 wickets in three matches and claimed the first five-wicket haul in club history in a win over Brisbane Heat on Tuesday night. But Molineux enters the tournament in hot form from last month’s World Cup and has been anointed the world’s best left-arm spinner by Scorchers great Beth Mooney. The Scorchers have a 2-1 record after defending 142 against the Heat. Their one defeat came against the Renegades on Saturday. They have named an unchanged squad for the clash at the WACA Ground, their final home match before a five-game stretch that takes them to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart this month. Molineux took 4-17 from four overs against the Scorchers on Saturday. Amy Jones, Chloe Piparo and Lilly Mills were all out trying to sweep the left-armer and Amy Edgar was caught in the deep. The 26-year-old had endured a run of injuries that put her international career on pause before returning for the World Cup, where she was one of Australia’s high points. “I think she is just very savvy with her bowling, she has got very good changes,” Mooney said. “She is the best left-arm spinner going around in my eyes. She knows her game, she knows how to execute what ball when and she nails it. “She’s a huge threat, especially to right-hand batters, so hopefully there’s a left-hander out there at some point that can take her down.” Carly Leeson, who played in the Scorchers’ season-opener, is expected to undergo a fitness test later this week and is hopeful of travelling next week. Sydney Thunder will play Brisbane Heat at the WACA on Thursday afternoon as part of a double-header.