Gardner's all-round heroics see Sixers into top spot

Ashleigh Gardner has dominated with bat and ball to see the Sydney Sixers to an eight-wicket win over Hobart Hurricanes, and into top spot on the Weber WBBL|08 table, in a rain-reduced affair in Ballarat.

Gardner’s career-best 4-23 helped pull back a strong start from the Hurricanes to keep them to 8-95 from their 12 overs, before hammering 43 off 22 to lay the foundation for the chase before Erin Burns (23no off 14) iced victory.

After a wet outfield delayed play by an hour and saw the match reduced to 12 overs a side, Lauren Cheatle struck in the second over to remove Elyse Villani for two, but at the other end, Lizelle Lee was off and racing.

The South Africa opener hit two fours and a six, before Gardner intervened with the crucial breakthrough in the fifth over, removing Lee for a 14-ball 24.

Fellow import Mignon du Preez (26 off 19) also made a bright start, hitting a six straight down the ground before falling to the spin of Sophie Ecclestone (2-16), and Heather Graham went hard after being promoted up the order, clearing the ropes twice in a nine-ball 16.

But a superb fightback with the ball led by Gardner saw the Hurricanes fail to score a boundary in the final four overs as they lost 5-18, to finish on 8-75.

Sixers opener Alyssa Healy registered her fourth single-digit score from five innings in WBBL|08, holing out off a Molly Strano full toss.

But Gardner wasted little time taking the attack to the Hurricanes when she replaced her Australian teammate at the crease, hitting a boundary off the fifth ball she faced.

With the Sixers at one point needing 69 off 48 balls, Gardner went after the pace of Graham, hammering two sixes and a four in a 19-run over.

Searching for an answer, Hurricanes captain Villani tossed the ball to Maisy Gibson and while Gardner struck her second delivery for six, the leg-spinner had the last laugh later the same over when she bowled the Aussie allrounder for 43.

With 37 still required, in-form Erin Burns was sent out ahead of Sixers skipper Ellyse Perry and picked up where she left off in her previous innings in Adelaide, striking four boundaries to steer the Sixers home with seven balls to spare.

Opener Suzie Bates finished unbeaten on 25, with the Sixers’ fourth win from five matches in WBBL|08 moving them to top spot on the table.

The Sixers will hope the rain holds off for their match against the Renegades in Ballarat on Sunday, while the Hurricanes will next be in action on Thursday night when they host the Renegades at Blundstone Arena.

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