Renegades snatch vital win to end Sixers' unbeaten run

Melbourne Renegades have climbed into fifth spot and ended Sydney Sixers' winning streak in WBBL|12 with a nail-biting two-wicket win at North Sydney Oval on Sunday. 

For a good stretch of the contest, it appeared to be unfolding as simply another episode of 'The Ashleigh Gardner Show' as the Sixers' superstar allrounder rode her luck early on to blaze 55 from 31 and lead her side to 6-152, then claimed 4-33 to lead her side towards victory.

But Renegade Chloe Tryon had other ideas, with the South African allrounder – who had earlier given Gardner a life with a dropped chance at long-on – picking her side up off the canvas and taking them into the final over with a fine 43 from 23 batting at No.7. 

Earlier, Sophie Molineux dismissed Ellyse Perry for the first time in the WBBL to set the tone for a Sixers innings in which they were rarely able to get away from the Gades, who took wickets at key moments throughout the innings.  

Key to that control was the leg-spin wizardry of Georgia Wareham, who claimed 3-19 through the middle overs to stamp her mark on proceedings.

Profligacy in the field however afforded Gardner too many opportunities, and she duly seized on those chances, hammering five fours and four sixes in a trademark knock from the right-hander that got the Sixers to a defendable total. 

Olivia Porter (29 off 21) then played a lone hand at the top of the order for the Renegades as wickets fell quickly at the other end, and the visitors found themselves in dire straits at 5-61 when Wareham was out in the 12th over.

From there Molineux began the turnaround, the skipper hitting seven fours in her 38 from 25 balls to resurrect the innings. 

Tryon, who had largely played second fiddle through her time in the middle with Molineux, then took ownership of the chase once her captain fell to Melie Kerr (2-25), and her quality boundary hitting brought the runs-to-balls ratio down until it landed at 13 from the final over. 

Facing up to Gardner, the right-hander hit six and four from the second and third balls to leave the Gades needing two from three balls, and while she fell from the next ball, 'keeper-batter Nic Faltum was able to get her side home with a lovely driven four from the final ball of the match. 

Weber WBBL|12 Standings

Round 1

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	Drawn D	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Bowling Bonus Bowl	Total points PTS
1 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	6	5	1	0	0	0	0.922	0	0	0	10
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	6	5	1	0	0	0	0.779	0	0	0	10
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	6	4	2	0	0	0	1.154	0	0	0	8
4 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	5	3	2	0	0	0	0.23	0	0	0	6
5 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	6	3	3	0	0	0	-0.4	0	0	0	6
6 Sydney Thunder Women THU	5	2	3	0	0	0	0.215	0	0	0	4
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	6	1	5	0	0	0	-0.602	0	0	0	2
8 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	6	0	6	0	0	0	-2.087	0	0	0	0

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

D: Drawn

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

Bowl: Bowling Bonus

PTS: Total points