Healy, Bates onslaught powers Sixers to top of the table

Sydney Sixers opener Alyssa Healy has returned to form in style, smacking a speedy half-century to lay the foundation for a 37-run win over Melbourne Renegades in Ballarat.

Healy hammered 78 off 54 balls, to register her first score over 50 since she struck 170 against England in the one-day World Cup final in early April, as the Sixers posted 3-188, the highest total of Weber WBBL|08 to date.

 

A wet and wild second innings saw the Renegades stumble to 5-38 before an 81-run stand between Carly Leeson (52 from 32) and Rhiann O’Donnell (32 off 26), helped by some wayward bowling from the Sixers’ quicks, had the hosts dreaming of a miracle.

Leeson’s half-century was the Renegades’ first of the season, but it was ultimately not enough to steal victory as the hosts finished on 9-151,with the Sixers reclaiming top spot from Perth Scorchers.

Sent in by the Renegades, Healy combined with Suzie Bates in a 151-run opening stand, the Kiwi contributing 66 off 46 for her second fifty since joining the Sixers this season.

 

The powerful pair were handed three lives between them as the Renegades had a day in the field they would prefer to forget, with Bates bringing up her half-century off 34 balls before Healy raised her bat shortly after, from 39 deliveries.

Healy escalated after reaching the milestone, hitting three sixes and six fours, before Renegades captain Sophie Molineux finally secured the breakthroughs required in the 17th over, removing Bates and then Healy in the space of three balls.

But there was little respite for the hosts, with Erin Burns (16no from 8) and Ashleigh Gardner (17 from 10) picking up where their openers left off, making the most of the Power Surge as they added 28 runs from the final two overs.

Experienced internationals Molineux (2-38), Hayley Matthews (0-38) and Sarah Coyte (0-33) bore the brunt of Healy and Bates’ attack, but South Africa speedster Shabnim Ismail bucked the trend with a tidy 1-26 off her four overs.

With the sky growing dark during the innings break as gusty winds blew in a rain band from the west earlier than expected, the Sixers looked to their spinners to get through the five overs required for a result as quickly as possible.

 

As the rain started falling, Sophie Ecclestone, Gardner and Nicole Bolton got the job done in little more than 15 minutes, with the English left-armer removing Hayley Matthews (0) and Courtney Webb (1) in the process.

Ultimately the hurried start proved unnecessary as the skies brightened, and the Renegades wickets continued to fall, with Chamari Athapaththu (7) well caught behind by a diving Healy, and Georgia Prestwidge (6) and Molineux (18) departed in quick succession to leave the Renegades 5-38.

 

But the momentum swung wildly after the drinks break, as Stella Campbell started her day with five consecutive wides, with 22 runs coming off her first over. 

Ellyse Perry’s first over then went for 24 runs; it started with five wides then a no ball, with the free hit dispatched over the rope by O’Donnell.

With the equation 78 off 42, Leeson and O’Donnell looked to take advantage as the Sixers were forced to rapidly adjust their plans in damp and blustery conditions, given what had initially appeared to be match-ending rain had instead rapidly blown over.

 

It took a brilliant overhead catch from Perry in the 15th over to procure the wicket of Donnell, with her dismissal taking the wind from the Renegades’ sails despite Leeson’s maiden WBBL half-century. 

Ecclestone (2-18) and Gardner (1-28) were economical, while Brown (2-13) also impressed in an otherwise difficult day for the pace attack.

 

The Renegades now travel to Hobart to play the Hurricanes on Thursday night, while the Sixers meet the Thunder in the Sydney Smash on Wednesday evening.

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