The Sixers have slumped to 0-2 to start the WBBL season after young gun Phoebe Litchfield blasted yet another half-century for the Thunder, and things could get worse for the competition heavyweights with Alyssa Healy set for a stint on the sidelines after she missed the 42-run loss in Sydney.
Healy’s immediate playing future is up in the air after the international superstar was ruled out of the Sydney Smash due to a hand injury which required surgery on Sunday morning.
The Sixers released a statement an hour before the match confirming the veteran keeper suffered the injury in a “domestic injury at home” on Saturday night, with no confirmation on when she might return.
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It’s a hammer blow for the Sixers who were also without Mathilda Carmichael (back strain) and Gabby Sutcliffe, while Healy’s availability for the rest of the tournament and December’s tour of India is a mystery.
Youngster Kate Pelle filled in behind the stumps and held onto a catch for the first wicket of the evening, while she also opened the batting but fell for a third ball duck in a horror start for the Sixers.
PHENOMENAL PHOEBE
While Healy is in doubt for the Indian tour, Australian selectors can rest easy with Phoebe Litchfield continuing her incredible run of form with a blistering half-century that powered the Thunder to 5/190 at the end of their 20 overs.
Fresh from hitting the equal-fastest 50 in women’s T20 internationals earlier this month, the 20-year-old continued her love affair with North Sydney Oval by smashing a 28-ball half-century in front of nearly 3000 fans.
Litchfield looked comfortable from the moment she walked to the crease and belted back-to-back sixes from the final two balls of the innings to bring up her 50.
She wasn’t the only Thunder player to reach the milestone with international recruit Chamari Athapaththu posting 52 and taking three wickets despite not being picked up in the WBBL draft.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
The Sixers lost two games in the regular season last year, but the WBBL giants have already matched that total after just two games and next face a Heat side flying high after Grace Harris blasted the highest ever score in competition history.
There were a couple of positives with new recruit Jess Kerr picking up a couple of wickets in her first game of the season, while skipper Ellyse Perry returned from a one-game ban and looked set for a huge knock when she raced to 31 off 16.
But her dismissal in the sixth over came out of nowhere and was quickly followed by star all-rounder Ash Gardner who fell to a stunning Olivia Porter catch to end any hopes of a miracle run chase.
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