The Sydney Sixers have claimed consecutive WBBL crowns by crushing the Perth Scorchers by nine wickets in Sunday’s final.
After bowling Perth out for 99, the Sixers cruised to their target with 31 balls to spare at Adelaide Oval.
The Sixers defeated the Scorchers in last year’s final and now have two wins in three WBBL tournaments – they were beaten grand finalists in the first edition.
Chasing their small target, Sixers openers Alyssa Healy and captain Ellyse Perry ensured a trouble-free victory.
The pair put on 36 runs from the initial five overs to set the tone of a partnership which reaped 64 runs from 10.1 overs.
Healy was dismissed for 41 from 32 balls while Perry (36 not out) hit the winning runs, with Ashleigh Gardner not out 22.
Earlier, the Scorchers stumbled with the bat against a miserly Sixers bowling attack headed by Sarah Coyte.
Coyte, who only returning to top-level cricket last weekend after almost a year off while battling anxiety, took 3-17 from her four overs.
Spinner Erin Burns claimed 2-26 while Perry, Sarah Aley and Kim Garth were the other wicket takers.
The Scorchers collapsed mid-innings when they lost four wickets in four consecutive overs.
From 0-23, Perth slumped to 4-41 with their chief run scorers this tournament failing to fire – captain Elyse Villani made 16 and her opening partner Nicole Bolton five.
Heather Graham (14) and Thamsyn Newton (12) tried to arrest the slide before No.8 batter Piepa Cleary top scored with 18 not out.
Gerry
Roar Rookie
I have not done enough research on it and I am not sure I want to if complex political wrangling is involved as it is inevitably. However I feel that women’s sports are getting more popular and more exposure, slowly but surely. Top female athletes like Jessica Ennis, Ellyse Perry, Sam Kerr and Sally Pearson as well as the success of the women’s cricket team, netball team and soccer team are really getting higher profiles and generating excitement from the public. My step daughter is just starting to get involved in sports and netball and it would be fabulous to see her progress as she has never been a sporty person. it may be a pipe dream but it would be absolutely radical if there could be a world competition featuring all the major field world sports such as soccer, rugby 7’s, shortened version of Twenty20 cricket, (Ten ten as played in the UAE recently) hockey, basketball, volleyball, netball and baseball with the AFLW and perhaps American football being invitational sports to spread their coverage. With no single game being longer than an hour and held in a neutral seasonal month such as September for both hemispheres to participate. It could be called something like the Pan60 Women’s Games. (60 referring to 60 mins) Of course all the formalities and details would need to be fleshed out but it would be a bold move and I guess people are just going to ridicule it. Anyway it’s just a thought. If it worked though, you can bet the men’s competition would gladly follow. As a man I would not care if the women got there first and indeed would applaud it. What do you reckon? Or should I just crawl back into my hole. Haha.I am serious though. It would really help to propel women’s sports into the place it should be now.
anon
Roar Pro
I think it’s a little premature to let the WBBL Final be held as a standalone event. Very disappointing crowd. I know it’s a neutral ground, but that didn’t stop Manuka Oval being packed out for the Final a few years ago. Maybe some people are misjudging the appetite for women's T20.