Women’s Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers Women vs Melbourne Stars Women
Sydney Sixers with three back-to-back victories
The Sixers are currently in first place on the ladder with a 3-match winning streak after defeating the Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers, two of the WBBL 07 finals, before earning the victory over the Melbourne Stars. The Sixers were last season’s bottom-of-the-table team with just four victories.
Amazing Start
In order to set the stage for the Sixers’ 6-147, opener Alyssa Healy found her form and top-scored with a 32-ball 43 on a worn-out Mackay field.
Bess Heath, an English opener, scored 37 in Melbourne’s reply, but it wasn’t enough as spinner Ashleigh Gardner 2-19 and partner Sophie Ecclestone 1-16 combined to keep their opponents to 9-120.
The Superstar Combo
With the help of Ellyse Perry joining her, Healy immediately found her footing after Kim Garth made an early breakthrough by taking a swift return catch to eliminate Suzie Bates for 4 runs.
She reached the boundary six times after scores of 0 and 2 in the first two games but was denied a drought-breaking half-century by national teammate Annabel Sutherland in the 10th over.
Perry’s Innings
When Tess Flintoff held onto an acrobatic diving catch in the deep and Gardner was bowled for a run-a-ball 24 in Sutherland’s second over, Perry, who had battled her way to 28 from 30 balls, was unable to continue to a third straight fifty.
Melbourne Star’s Come-back
The Stars wanted to bounce back immediately after narrowly losing to the Brisbane Heat on Saturday night. And English debutantes Lauren Winfield-Hill and Heath began off well by scoring 31 points during the four-over powerplay.
Bess Heath lone warrior
Heath played true to her reputation as a hard-hitter by finding the boundary six times. But Gardner’s removal of rising teenage star Alice Capsey made the Stars’ position uncertain at 3-74. Heath’s departure on 37 left the team in peril.
Annabel Sutherland was the only person with a chance of leading the chase to victory. But the in-form all-rounder never quite got going. Giving Gardner a fielding advantage after she holed out to the Sixers’ attack under pressure.
Maitlan Missing Out On A Hat-trick
In the last over, when Maitlan Brown got Nicole Faltum and Sophie Reid out with consecutive balls. She was on a hat-trick, but she had to settle for three wickets in four balls to end with numbers of 3-25.
What’s Next
The Sixers will play the Strikers on Friday in Adelaide. While the Stars will now fly to Perth to play the Scorchers on Thursday.
