Melbourne Stars v Sydney SixersAlyssa Healy's belligerent century saw Sydney Sixers defeat Melbourne Stars by five wickets to finish their WBBL06 campaign on a high. The wicketkeeper-batter clobbered a 52-ball 111 to headline Sixers' chase of 184 - the second highest successful chase in WBBL history.
Needing to chase down their target within six overs to have any sniff of making the finals, Sixers got off to a bit of an anti-climactic start, with skipper Ellyse Perry struggling to hit the ball off the square of the North Sydney Oval. At the other end though, Healy peppered the leg side boundary, quick to pick up anything slightly short and flick it off her hips.
As the innings progressed, she opened up the rest of the ground, clearing the straight boundary, hitting her trademark shot over cover and also bludgeoning powerfully through mid-wicket. Stars' bowlers had no answer to Healy's onslaught as she found the boundary at will, rollicking to her fourth WBBL hundred off just 48 deliveries.
The right hander crunched 15 fours and six sixes through her innings, putting her side in the driver's seat at 150 for no loss in 14 overs.
Almost against the run of play, Perry, who was watching proceedings unfold at the other end, was dismissed by Alana King for 31. Her wicket started a bit of a procession, Sixers collapsing to 157 for 4 in the next two overs - Tess Flintoff dismissing Healy (111) and Marizanne Kapp (0) in the same over.
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Alyssa Healy celebrates an incredible century. © Getty ImagesErin Burns and Angela Reakes added 16 more to the total before Flintoff struck again, cleaning up Burns in the penultimate over. That left the Sixers needing 11 runs in eight deliveries - a target that Reakes (21*) and Lisa Griffith (5*) managed to overhaul courtesy a couple of fortunate edges and a lovely slash over point. In the end, they got home with two balls to spare, handing Stars only their third loss of the competition.
Earlier, having been put in to bat, Stars got off to a flier thanks to Elyse Villani. While skipper Meg Lanning found the going tough against the inswing of left-arm seamer Lauren Cheatle, Villani - who had a sore hamstrung - swung for the fences from the very outset. When Sixers attacked her stumps, she simply made room and carved the ball over the off-side ring, also playing a series of powerful sweeps and stunning shots straight down the ground.
Lanning began to find her rhythm towards the end of the powerplay, after which it was run-fest.
The pair added 79 for the first wicket, Villani contributing a quick-fire 45 before she fell to Kapp. Mignon du Preez began in her typically busy fashion, but didn't last too long against the spin of fellow South African Dane van Niekerk.
Meanwhile, Lanning was in her elements at the other end, peppering the off-side, even striking an incredible six over cover. Sixers helped her along the way, shelling two chances she offered early on. She took the opportunity, and brought up her sixth half-century of WBBL06.
Lanning combined with Natalie Sciver for an incredible 82-run stand, the England international matching her skipper shot for shot, collecting 32 runs off just 13 deliveries.
The duo fell off consecutive deliveries in the final over whilst searching for the boundary. A couple of lusty blows from Katherine Brunt at the end took the Stars to an imposing total of 178 for 4 in 19 overs.
Brisbane Heat v Melbourne RenegadesBrisbane Heat registered their seventh win on the trot in WBBL06, crushing Melbourne Renegades by 44 runs in a rain-reduced encounter at the Drummoyne Oval. Georgia Prestwidge's four-wicket haul was as the centre of that win, the seamer ripping through Renegades' batting line up with a great display of swing bowling.
Having elected to field, Melbourne Renegades made a promising start to the day with Lea Tahuhu and Carly Leeson found some movement early to remove Georgia Redmayne, Grace Harris and Jess Jonassen back early. Heat were quickly reduced to 35 for 3 in seven overs.
Amelia Kerr and Georgia Voll and led the mid-innings repair, sharing a 25-run partnership for the fourth wicket that gave the defending champions a bit of breathing space. However, the latter's dismissal for 20 caused a slump in the middle again.
Heat's batting hero of WBBL06, Laura Kimmince, didn't have much of an impact, with Tahuhu producing a full and straight delivery to knock her over for two. But Nadine de Klerk and Kerr (36*) were able to lift the scoring rate at the back end of the innings to lift Heat's score to 114 for 6 in 17 overs after rain interrupted the innings.
Set a target of 121, Renegades' chase never got off the ground after Delissa Kimmince dismissed Lizelle Lee off the first ball of the innings. Georgia Prestwidge got into the act, when she removed Josie Dooley and Rebecca Carter in a the space of five deliveries, to reduce Renegades to 7 for 3 inside three overs.
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Georgia Prestwidge celebrates a wicket.
© Getty ImagesThere was no chance of recovery after that, with Satterthwaite and Webb battling for twin scores of 14, and Leeson and Ella Hayward managing 12 apiece. No other Renegades batter reached double digits.
Prestwidge returned to clean up the tail, finishing with figures of 4 for 12 in 3.2 overs. Kerr and Jonassen chipped in with two wickets each as Heat rolled out Renegades for a paltry 76, sealing a comprehensive 44-run victory.
Brief scores:Melbourne Stars 178/4 in 19 overs (Meg Lanning 77, Elyse Villani 45; Marizanne Kapp 3-34) lost to
Sydney Sixers 184/5 in 18.4 overs (Alyssa Healy 111, Ellyse Perry 31; Tess Flintoff 3-32) by five wickets.
PotM: Alyssa Healy.
Brisbane Heat 114/6 in 17 overs (Amelia Kerr 36*, Georgia Voll 20; Lea Tahuhu 2-16) beat
Melbourne Renegades 76 in 16.2 overs (Georgia Prestwidge 4-16, Jess Jonassen 2-6) by 44 runs.
PotM: Georgia Prestwidge
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