Mooney's 75* trumps Perry's 62* as Scorchers brush aside Sixers with ease

^th fifty in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) saw Perth Scorchers overhaul Sydney Sixers four for 137 and register a five-wicket win on Wednesday (November 11) at the Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney. The knock also bettered Perry’s, who had carried her bat with 62 during their innings.

The Australian opener saw her opening partner and captain, Sophie Devine, depart in the first over after hitting a boundary. In the company of Nicole Bolton, Mooney went about scoring quickly and putting Sixers under pressure right from the word go. Sixers’ wayward bowling at the start didn’t make it any easy for them.

Mooney mixed caution with aggression as she hit just two fours in the first five overs but then smashed a hat-trick of them in the last over of the power play bowled by Sarah Aley, which saw Scorchers comfortably placed at one for 55.

The next phase of play then saw Bolton (18), Heather Graham (eight) and Chloe Piparo (two) depart, but nothing would prevent Mooney from scoring her third half century this season. With young Megan Banting, who made 17 off just 13 balls, Mooney added 36 and helped Scorchers get close to the their third win this season. Some fielding lapses towards the end didn't help Sixers, as Perry dropped Banting with 28 more to get in 24 balls.

Quite aptly, though, Mooney hit the winning runs to finish unbeaten on 75 off just 64 balls.

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Earlier, Sixers had opted to bat and lost Alyssa Healy in the very first over. Perry, who opened the innings, then saw Ashleigh Gardner depart soon. Along with Marizanne Kapp, she then began rebuilding the Sixers innings. The pair regularly found the fence and ran well between the wickets as they added 86 runs in 74 balls.

It was then that Kapp was facing some discomfort in the running and walked out, as a result, on 33. She would be ruled out of bowling later in the innings due to an elevated heart rate. However, that break put the brakes on Sixers’ momentum, who could then add only 35 off the last 27 balls, with Erin Burns and Dane van Niekerk being dismissed.

Perry went past her 19^th half century in the WBBL but couldn’t put the innings beyond Scorchers. Nicole Bolton was the pick of the bowlers for the team in orange with one for 19 while Taneale Peschel and Sarah Glenn also chipped in with a wicket each.

Brief Scores: Sydney Sixers 137/4 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 62*, Marizanne Kapp 33 retd hurt; Nicole Bolton 1/19, Taneale Peschel 1/25, Sarah Glenn 1/31) lost to Perth Scorchers 138/5 in 19.1 overs (Beth Mooney 75*, Nicole Bolton 18, Megan Banting 17; Erin Burns 1/19) by five wickets. PoTM: Beth Mooney