Sixers hit the road looking to reverse fortunes

Charlotte Edwards says her Sydney Sixers will remain calm despite last summer's runners-up making a winless start to their Weber WBBL|09 campaign and the blow of Alyssa Healy's shock injury.

The Sixers – among the favourites heading into the tournament – recorded a third straight defeat on Tuesday evening when the in-form Brisbane Heat reeled in the target of 147 with an over to spare.

It followed a two-run loss to the Melbourne Stars last Thursday, and a 42-run defeat to the Sydney Thunder on Sunday, with all three games played at the Sixers' home of North Sydney Oval.

For second-year coach Edwards, it is a shift in dynamic compared to last season, where the Sixers lost just two regular-season matches before eventually going down to Adelaide Strikers in the final.

The English mentor had her own interrupted start to the tournament, missing the opening game due to illness, and the club must also figure out how to cover the loss of opening bat and wicketkeeper Healy, who had surgery after being accidentally bitten on her index finger while breaking up a fight between her two dogs.

"It's been a really weird three games, we probably should have won the first one, we got slightly outplayed in the second and (tonight was) another close one here," Edwards said on Tuesday.

"(But) it's a long tournament … the Strikers lost their first three games last year, and we've got some absolute world-class players in that dressing room, we just need some of them to go on and get bigger scores and I guess have a have a little bit of luck.

"No one likes losing but equally, a lot of (our players) have played a lot of cricket and we all know that this is T20 format is quite a fickle format.

"We're not playing badly, we're not being rolled, we're just not winning those close moments ... we've not taken our catches, we've not taken our opportunities at times and with the bat, we've not really extending partnerships - hopefully that's all in the locker now and we can do (those things) moving forward."

The Sixers now hit the road for an extended period – their next Sydney game is not until November 10 – with a clash against the Renegades in Melbourne to come on Saturday before they travel to Perth for eight days and then return to Melbourne to play the Stars.

Rather than focusing on disappointment at being unable to capitalise on three home games to start the season, Edwards believes hitting the road could be just what the doctor ordered.

"Pez just said to me actually that going away now is probably a really good thing for this group," she said.

"We'll have a training session on Thursday, leave on Friday and play Saturday, and then it's thick and fast in Melbourne and Perth."

The Sixers don't yet know how long they will be without Healy, or if she will make it back at all this season.

They expect to receive more clarity later this week when the 33-year-old sees her surgeon, but in the meantime, they must work out how to cover both her role at the top of the order and behind the stumps.

On Sunday, the day after Healy's accident, they handed both jobs to 17-year-old second-gamer Kate Pelle, the only other 'keeper on their roster.

But on Tuesday, Ellyse Perry returned to the opening role she held at the club across the first six years of the WBBL, scoring a 30-ball 49, with Pelle moving down.

Perry has embraced and excelled at her role of middle-order aggressor over the past 12 months, but given the predicament the Sixers are in, reducing the pressure on Pelle was the priority.

The teenager, who was part of Australia's Under-19 World Cup squad in January, contributed seven not out batting at No.8 then took two excellent catches against the Heat.

"The poor girl, I've been ringing her up every other day going, 'oh, by the way, you're opening and keeping now'," Edwards said.

"But seeing someone like her now flourish in this environment is a real positive for us as a club.

"Midge was loving watching her take those catches and there's a lot to come from her with the bat as well.

"We're putting her in a safer environment, putting Perry to the top and hopefully we can see the best of Kate Pelle also with the bat towards the end of this tournament."

While Healy is one of the game's biggest superstars, the Sixers can only replace her with a local player.

To sign an overseas 'keeper or opening batter, they would need to first rotate one of their current three of Suzie Bates, Chloe Tryon and Jess Kerr out of their squad, and have the room in the salary cap to do so.

They also already have a fourth international on their books as a replacement player in England spinner Linsey Smith.

Instead, the Sixers have recruited NSW Academy coach and former Sixers and Thunder squad member Hannah Trethewy as back-up for Pelle behind the stumps.

"It was a pretty thin list, I think most teams have got spare wicketkeepers but we've got Hannah Trethewy and we're really happy with her, she was around our squad last year so she's a great replacement and outstanding person around the group," Edwards said.

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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