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WBBL wrap: Sixers hit new low as Heat run hot

A fifth defeat on the trot has seen the star-studded Sydney Sixers slide further out of WBBL title contention, while Meg Lanning proved the difference in a top-of-the-table thriller

Brisbane Heat beat the Sydney Sixers by three wickets with 13 balls remaining

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Heat hot again as Sixers slump continues

By Laura Jolly at Showground Stadium

A dominant display with bat and ball from the Brisbane Heat has consigned the Sydney Sixers to a fifth consecutive defeat, by three wickets at Sydney Showground Stadium.

Defending 123, two early Heat wickets ignited the Sixers’ hopes, including the bizarre dismissal of opener Grace Harris.

Harris was made to pay for a moment of inattention; having played and missed at a delivery from Marizanne Kapp, she absent-mindedly practiced the shot from outside her crease, only to be stumped by a quick-thinking Alyssa Healy.

'Very lazy, unaware cricket': Bizarre dismissal rocks Heat

Heat captain Jess Jonassen (34 from 28) and teenager Georgia Voll (19 off 16) put Brisbane back on track, before an aggressive cameo in-form Laura Kimmince then took the game away from the Sixers, as she took on teenage pacer Stella Campbell, hitting 19 runs from the 15th over.

When she holed out on 23 from 10 balls, the Heat needed just 11 from 27, and while Brisbane lost two more wickets in a late wobble, Delissa Kimmince iced victory with 13 balls to spare.

Earlier, a strong Heat bowling effort led by Harris (2-13) and Nicola Hancock (2-27) restricted the Sixers to 7-122.

Healy (29 off 20) showed flashes of form striking three fours and a maximum, but when she holed out off to Harris at mid-on the momentum turned in the Heat’s favour.

Leg-spinner Amelia Kerr trapped Ellyse Perry (17) on the pads, before Erin Burns (2) was judged to have been run out in a very tight call off a Harris direct hit.

With Ashleigh Gardner sitting out as she continues to recover from concussion, Dane van Niekerk attempted to provide some spark but was not able to get above a run a ball in her 31 from 33.

Regular wickets continued to fall as Angela Reakes (24no) added crucial runs.

Melbourne Stars beat the Perth Scorchers by six runs

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Stars edge out Scorchers in top-of-the-table clash


By Sam Ferris at Hurstville Oval

The Melbourne Stars are one step closer to a maiden WBBL finals appearance following a tight win over the Perth Scorchers at Hurstville Oval.

The Stars' six-run was built on half-centuries from captain Meg Lanning (57) and South Africa import Mignon du Preez (55no) in their total of 6-149 before the bowlers held Beth Mooney and the Scorchers to 8-143.

The victory, their seventh for the season, puts the Stars on 17 points and could be locked in for a top four finish should the Thunder lose to the Renegades on Tuesday evening.

Like she has all season, Lanning looked in sublime touch in scoring her fifth half-century of WBBL|06.

The pick of her nine boundaries was lofted drive over cover for six, just ahead of a squeezed square drive between two close fielders that left jaws dropped.

Lanning put on 99 with du Preez and together were eyeing a total close to 200. But when the captain drilled off-spinner Nicole Bolton to mid-off it triggered a collapse of 5-21 in five overs.

Du Preez was given lives on 36 and 45 before she was finally dismissed from the final ball of the innings to hand Bolton figures of 3-25.

Without inspirational captain Sophie Devine, who is sidelined with a back injury, Mooney took it upon herself to lead the pursuit.

Mooney, the No.1 T20 batter in the world, matched Lanning's exquisite stroke play and hit seven boundaries of her own.

But when she was dismissed by the impressive Alana King for 45, the Stars saw an opening and took full advantage.

Spin twins King and Sophie Day turned the screws, combining for 5-31 from eight overs to turn the match.

Mathilda Carmichael kept the Scorchers in the chase with a gutsy 28, crashing two fours in the final over to get the question down to eight from three balls before Rosemary Mair, who played for the Renegades just three days ago as one of five pool players, removed the dangerous batter to seal the game.

Adelaide Strikers beat Hobart Hurricanes by 64 runs

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Strikers storm past Hurricanes to stay in finals hunt

By Sam Ferris at Hurstville Oval

A record knock by Maddie Penna was the difference at Hurstville Oval on Tuesday morning as the Strikers resoundingly beat the Hurricanes to keep their finals hopes alive.

Penna's unbeaten 56 from 33 balls was the highest score at No.7 in the history of the WBBL and propelled Adelaide to an imposing 6-141, a total too great for the seventh-placed Hurricanes.

After their leading run-scorer Rachel Priest was blasted out by young gun Darcie Brown for just four, Hobart failed to put together a partnership of substance to lose by 64 runs.

Penna hits highest score by a No.7 in WBBL history

Adelaide found themselves in deep strife at 6-72 halfway through the 14th over after Nicola Carey and Chloe Hepburn picked up two wickets each.

But that's when Penna and Tegan McPharlin (18no) rescued the Strikers’ innings with an unbroken stand of 69, 64 of those coming in the final five overs.

Penna crunched six fours and two sixes and finished the innings with 24 runs from the final over bowled by Carey, hitting the Australia allrounder for two fours and as many sixes.

With a healthy score to defend, Strikers captain Megan Schutt (0-8 from three overs) refused to give up a run until the last ball of her second over while Brown (2-19) unleashed from the other end, bowling with great pace and bounce.

Penna powers Carey for 24 runs from the final over

Brown, who was ruled out of Adelaide's last match when she fainted before play, roughed up Kiwi veteran Rachael Priest before hitting the woodwork with a searing outswinger.

While her radar was off at times – she bowled six wides – it was another exciting performance by the 17-year-old.

Tahlia McGrath (2-16) and Sarah Coyte (3-10), who also affected a run out, were the other multiple wicket-takers for the Strikers, who now sit inside the top four on the WBBL|06 ladder.

The loss makes Hobart's task of making the finals much more difficult and they will need to win their remaining three matches and have results go their way if they are to feature beyond the regular season.

Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Renegades by 8 wickets with 33 balls remaining

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Thunder stroll into third with big win over 'Gades

By Laura Jolly at Sydney Showgrounds Stadium

Heather Knight has propelled the Sydney Thunder back into the WBBL top four, with her fourth half-century of the tournament paving the way to an eight-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades.

After Hannah Darlington's 3-22 restricted the bottom-of-the-table Renegades to 126, Knight's unbeaten 58 from 32 deliveries sealed the Thunder's fifth win of the season with 5.3 overs to spare.

It was enough for the Thunder to jump ahead of both the Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers into third spot on the table thanks to a hefty Net Run Rate boost, but there remains a tight battle for semi-finals berths with two points (one win) separating the sides ranked 2-6.

Knight came together in a 73-run stand with her skipper Rachael Haynes (33 from 29), after opener Tammy Beaumont found form with a 17-ball 23.

Earlier, speedster Shabnim Ismail and spinner Sam Bates did the early damage to give the Thunder the upper hand early after Haynes won the flip and sent the Renegades in.

Ismail removed countrywoman Lizelle Lee for one, while Sophie Molineux bright start ended when she holed out on the boundary to Bates' left-arm orthodox.

New No.3 Josie Dooley showed off her 360 game in her innings of 44, putting on 76 for the third wicket with captain Amy Satterthwaite (39), but after they were dismissed, middle-order batters Courtney Webb (7) and Carly Leeson (3) could not replicate their fireworks from Sunday's shock derby win.