Perry show rolls on into WBBL final

There have been a few constant themes running through this Rebel WBBL season: big runs, close finishes and Ellyse Perry.

So it was of little surprise to anyone when these three factors came together to produce a classic finish to the second WBBL|04 semi-final at Drummoyne Oval on Saturday, when a massive Perry six sealed a Super Over victory for the Sydney Sixers.

No matter how hard the Melbourne Renegades battled, no matter how many times they wrested back the momentum from their more fancied opponents, there was Perry in their way.

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First, a brilliant start with the ball had the Sixers in all sorts at 4-33 after 8.2 overs.

But Perry remained at the crease and while it wasn’t her most fluent knock by any means, the 28-year-old anchored her team’s innings as teammate Dane van Niekerk flourished at the other end, the pair putting on 98 runs to take their total to a respectable 4-131.

Perry finished unbeaten on 54, having posted her sixth half-century of the season (sitting alongside her two centuries).

With ball in hand, she bowled Renegades first drop Emma Inglis with a superb delivery, while she also snaffled a difficult catch to secure the key wicket of Jess Duffin just when it looked like the Renegades had the chase back on track.

The Sixers captain backed herself to bowl the final over of the match – when the Renegades needed 12 to win – and while she wasn’t directly involved in the stunning piece of fielding from Erin Burns and Alyssa Healy that saw the game end in a tie, she was back in the thick of it during the Super Over, with her big six into the wind sealing their place in the decider.

“It’s the Perry show, this WBBL,” Sixers ‘keeper Alyssa Healy laughed. “We might as well rename it the Ellyse Perry show, she’s showing everyone how to play cricket at the moment.

“It’s great to be on her side.

“To take the last over was a gutsy call, she would have been really tired.

“Full credit to her, she’s an amazing athlete and hopefully she can get us over the line next week as well.”

Perry now has 744 runs from 15 innings in WBBL|04 at the incredible average of 93. That’s 188 runs more than her nearest rival, Strikers allrounder Sophie Devine, and 194 more than the previous record for most runs in a WBBL season – the 560 scored by Meg Lanning in WBBL|01.

Speaking after the game, the allrounder was more intent on recognising the performances of her teammates in helping continue the Sixers’ remarkable record in WBBL finals – with Saturday’s game to be their fourth final appearance in as many years.

“That’s a phenomenal team effort,” Perry said on Channel Seven’s coverage. “There were really crucial moments that helped us win the match.

“In terms of what we focused on for four years, building that kind of resilience in the group and the ability to step up when it counts is pretty amazing.”

The Sixers will meet first-time finalists Brisbane Heat in Saturday’s final at Drummoyne Oval, with the action kick off at 10.10am AEDT.

Tickets are now on sale, with adults $10, concession $5 and children free.

All proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards Dolly’s Dream, a charity supporting the fight against bullying.