The Heat have joined a logjam of teams at the top of the WBBL ladder after their quicks tore through the Sixers’ top order to set up a crucial 12-run win that puts a serious dampener on Sydney’s chances of making the finals.
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Brisbane’s win means there are now five teams locked on eight points with only a handful of games remaining for each side, while the Sixers are stuck on six points ahead of Sunday’s must-win Sydney Smash.
The North Sydney Oval faithful thought their side was cruising to a comfortable win after their spinners ripped through the Heat to restrict the visitors to 9-139 from their 20 overs, but a stunning top-order collapse silenced the crowd as their three best batters were all dismissed inside the first three overs.
Openers Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry each scored one, Amelia Kerr was gone second ball for four, and then Ash Gardner was trapped in front for 10 to leave the Sixers reeling at 4-28.
Sarah Bryce gave them a glimmer of hope with back-to-back sixes in the power surge, before Sophie Ecclestone bashed some boundaries to leave them needing 18 off the final over, only for Heat skipper Jess Jonassen (3-24) to close it out as the hosts limped to 8-127.
SPIN SENSATIONS
North Sydney Oval can be a graveyard for spin bowlers, but Sydney’s triple threat of tweakers had a field day as Kerr, Ecclestone and Gardner combined for eight wickets on Thursday afternoon.
It was a statement performance from Kerr, with the Kiwis star claiming 4-23 against her former side, while Gardner (2-23) and Sophie Ecclestone (2-18) put the clamps on after the visitors raced to 81 after 10 overs.
Kerr has been brilliant with the ball since joining the Sixers, and the timing couldn’t be better with Ecclestone – the world’s number one ranked bowler – set to head off for national duties with England.
But the Sixers need a lot more from their champion batters if they are to sneak into the top four, with a few of their key players horribly out of form.
GLOVES OFF FOR HEALY
She may not have had the gloves on, but Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy still made a huge impact in the field as her Sixers teammates put down several sitters.
Healy said on the Fox Cricket coverage that she was “just managing a few things” as she continues to recover from the foot injury that ended her World Cup campaign, with Bryce replacing her behind the stumps.
Healy had to watch on as Ecclestone dropped Georgia Redmayne when she was on 13 off Caoimhe Bray’s bowling, with Grace Harris (39 off 26) smacking the next ball for six.
The young quick got her revenge in her next over when Healy held onto a sharp chance to claim her first WBBL catch without gloves.
Kerr also put down a simple chance when Jonassen was on 16, before Healy showed her teammates how it’s done with a leaping grab at short fine leg.
Those drops proved costly with Redmayne adding another crucial 15 runs after she was put down.
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