Sydney Sixers claimed a 11-run victory over Hobart Hurricanes
Win lifts Sixers to third place in the updated WBBL standings
Hobart Hurricanes remain top despite suffering their first defeat
Sydney Sixers, the two-time champions, ended Hobart Hurricanes' unbeaten run with a hard-fought 11‑run victory at Bellerive Oval on Saturday, November 21. It doubled up as payback, a revenge, for the six‑wicket defeat they had suffered against the same opponents earlier in the season.
Batting first, the Sixers raced to 75 inside 10 overs thanks to a rollicking opening stand from Ellyse Perry (28 off 22) and Sophia Dunkley (50 off 46), even as the duo fell to Heather Graham, who claimed 4/29. A late batting collapse meant that they could post only 147/9. But it proved just enough.
Captain Ashleigh Gardner, who had earlier contributed with an 18-ball 25, stole the show with the ball. The 28-year-old off-spinner from Sydney registered a four-wicket haul (4/36) as the Hurricanes were dismissed for 136 runs in 18.4 overs. Skipper Elyse Vllani remained unbeaten on 42 off 31.
The victory is significant for the Sydney Sixers, who had been under scrutiny after their earlier batting failures. The win lifts them to third place in the updated WBBL standings, while Hobart Hurricanes remain top despite suffering their first defeat in six matches.
After the Hobart thriller, attention now shifts to the second game of the day, where Perth Scorchers host Adelaide Strikers at the WACA Ground, in a clash of former champions. Both sides are desperate for points, sitting in the lower half of the table. Scorchers sit 5ht with four points (two wins), while Strikers are a rung below in the eight-team table. They have one win from four outings.
Meanwhile, across the Swan River at Perth Stadium, the men's Ashes opener looks set for an early finish. Australia, chasing a 205-run target, have already cut the deficit to under 100 runs, with Travis Head in full flow, playing his trademark aggressive innings. And it's only Day 2.
