A terrific bowling display by Sarah Aley delivered the Sixers their maiden WBBL trophy
Aley shines on the biggest stage
Sydney Sixers bowler Sarah Aley believes heartbreaking defeat in last summer's Rebel Women's Big Bash League final motivated the Sixers to the WBBL|02 title.
The Sixers finished runners-up last season in dramatic circumstances, losing to arch rivals Sydney Thunder in the final over at the MCG.
Aley played a monumental role in ensuring the Sixers didn't end up on the runners-up podium for the second season running.
"Obviously last year we had the loss so to get a win this year is unreal" Aley told cricket.com.au
Defending a modest total of 124, the Sixers restricted the Scorchers to 7-117 with Aley finishing with 4-23.
Aley admitted after the match that the Sixers score of 5-124 was below bar but the team still had the confidence during the mid-innings break.
"In T20 cricket it can be enough," she said.
"We knew we had to fight and scrap. We have won some tight games this season and we felt if we held our catches and fielded well we can get the job done."
Aley turned the game in Sixers' favour by picking up the wicket of a rampaging Elyse Villani. The Scorchers opener had blazed away to 23 off 20 balls but succumbed to Aley's stump-to-stump bowling by hitting her straight to long-on.
"We knew she [Villani] was the key in their batting order," Aley explained.
"She has been in really good form and scoring plenty of 50's – the earlier we could get her the better and I guess I was lucky that I had the ball at the time."
While Aley stalled the Scorchers innings with the wicket of Villani, the medium-pacer felt the run out of Suzie Bates was also a pivotal moment in the game.
The Scorchers skipper was just getting her eye in when she was run out with a direct hit from mid-wicket by Lauren Smith.
"It was the crucial wicket of Suzie Bates. We needed that wicket at that time," she said.
Aley finished the WBBL|02 season with 28 wickets at an average of 11.75 with a staggering strike-rate of 12.3.
Asked to comment on her phenomenal success this season the Sixers medium pacer stated it was all about being consistent.
"It wasn't something [28 wickets] I was expecting – my role with the ball increased that little bit, to pick up as many as I did I'm delighted," she said.
"I was just trying to be as consistent as possible. I wasn't as consistent last year.
"I had a pretty good WNCL season leading into WBBL|02 and for me it was more of hitting the right areas of a consistent basis."