In-form Heat consign Sixers to third straight defeat

Brisbane Heat’s perfect start to Weber WBBL|09 has continued as they consigned the winless Sydney Sixers to a third straight defeat at North Sydney Oval.

The Heat reeled in their target of 147 with three wickets in hand and an over to spare, making the most of their deep batting line-up in a nervy chase.

Brisbane have won three from three on the road and return home for their first game at Allan Border Field on Friday brimming with confidence.

But it is a very different story for the Sixers, who are likely to be without opener and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy for most, if not all, of the season and now must hit the road for the first time in WBBL|09.

Ellyse Perry (49 off 30) and Chloe Tryon (42 from 33) led the way for the hosts but the next highest contribution came from Maitlan Brown (18).

Their bowlers, led by Ashleigh Gardner (2-17) and Brown (2-24) then got their side back into the match after Grace Harris (39 off 19) got the Heat chase off to an explosive start.

Harris was given a life on one when Brown could not hang on to a tough chance at point and quickly made the Sixers rue the missed opportunity as she hit 25 runs off the next nine deliveries she faced.

She lost opening partner Georgia Redmayne (1 off 6) in the fourth over but found a solid ally in Georgia Voll (39 off 38).

Harris got a second chance on 38, put down by Kate Peterson in the deep, but only added one to her tally before Brown finally got the wicket the Sixers had been searching for, as Harris edged down leg side and wicketkeeper Kate Pelle completed a handy catch.

Mignon du Preez added run-a-ball 18 before becoming Gardner’s second victim.

Voll played the anchor role superbly but after being dropped on 36, added just three more to her tally before she was bowled by Chloe Tryon with the Heat still 38 runs away from their target.

Jonassen loomed as the key wicket for the hosts and Erin Burns almost took a spectacular diving catch to remove her on 13, but just couldn’t hang on.

The Heat skipper dispatched the ball onto the roof of the Sixers dugout the next over, then followed up with four, and suddenly the equation was 10 needed off 14.

There was a twist in the tale when Lauren Cheatle bowled Jonassen, ending her 19-ball innings on 27, and she had another two balls later as Pelle took a second excellent catch behind the stumps to remove Charli Knott (6).

But fresh batter Mikayla Hinkley struck a six off the fifth ball of the 19th over, then hit the winning single to ensure the Heat maintained their winning run.

Earlier, Perry returned to the top of the order in place of Healy and after being given a life when dropped on naught, went on to top score with a 30-ball 49 as the Sixers posted 8-146.

She lost her opening partner early, with Suzie Bates frustrated before she was caught for three off nine deliveries.

Courtney Sippel (2-23) then removed Gardner (1) and Burns (0) in the space of three balls, leaving the Sixers wobbly at 3-32.

Tryon (42 off 33) joined Perry to stabilise and the pair out on 42 runs before the latter became the fourth wicket to fall in the 11th over, holing out trying to dispatch a loosener from Voll.

Tryon also departed looking to accelerate as she approached fifty, and Brown’s 20-ball 18 was the next highest contribution for the hosts.

Weber WBBL|09 Standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Adelaide Strikers Women STR	14	11	3	0	0	1.154	0	22
2 Perth Scorchers Women SCO	14	8	6	0	0	0.784	0	16
3 Brisbane Heat Women HEA	14	8	6	0	0	0.203	0	16
4 Sydney Thunder Women THU	14	7	6	0	1	0.298	0	15
5 Sydney Sixers Women SIX	14	7	7	0	0	-0.253	0	14
6 Hobart Hurricanes Women HUR	14	6	7	0	1	-0.597	0	13
7 Melbourne Stars Women STA	14	6	8	0	0	-0.779	0	12
8 Melbourne Renegades Women REN	14	2	12	0	0	-0.978	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points

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