The Sydney Sixers welcome back Alyssa Healy when they host the Melbourne Stars at North Sydney Oval
All you need to know: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
Match facts
Who: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
What: Match 9, Weber WBBL|10
Where: North Sydney Oval, Sydney
When: Friday, November 1, Bat flip at 6.45pm local (6.45pm AEDT), first ball at 7.15pm local (7.15pm AEDT)
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Roberto Howard (Field), Mitchell Claydon (Field), Shared Patel (Third), Bede Sajowitz (Fourth), Janine Stainer (referee)
Match squads
Sydney Sixers: Ellyse Perry (c), Hollie Armitage, Caoimhe Bray, Maitlan Brown, Sarah Bryce, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophie Ecclestone, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Elsa Hunter, Kate Pelle, Courtney Sippel.
Melbourne Stars: Annabel Sutherland (c), Yastika Bhatia, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, Liv Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Ines McKeon, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid
Form guide
Adelaide Strikers: LWWWL (most recent first)
After taking the win on opening day against the Melbourne Renegades, the Sixers suffered their first loss of the season to the Strikers.
Melbourne Stars: LWWLW
The Melbourne Stars will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Perth Scorchers in their opening game of the season.
Players to watch
Alyssa Healy returns to the Sixers squad after her plantar facias injury at the Women’s World Cup. The Sixers will be hoping the Australia captain can have an impact if she returns to the best XI.
Sixers captain Ellyse Perry has started the WBBL in red-hot form. At the conclusion of the match against the Strikers she held both the golden arm and golden bat hats before Heather Graham overtook with her on the wickets leaderboard. Perry is still the competition’s top scorer with 135 runs and has four wickets to her name as well.
The Stars welcome Indian batter Yastika Bhatia into the squad for the first time this season. The opening batter will no doubt provide some extra class at the top of the order for the Stars.
Young gun Ines McKeon singlehandedly kept the Stars in the game during their run chase in Perth. It was an impressive WBBL debut for the 17-year-old who starred with a half century.
Head-to-head
Overall: Sydney Sixers (9 wins), Melbourne Stars (8 wins), no result (1)
At North Sydney Thunder: Sixers (2 wins), Stars (1 win)
Most runs: Alyssa Healy (549), Ellyse Perry (536), Ashleigh Gardner (420), Meg Lanning (335), Lizelle Lee (201)
Most wickets: Marizanne Kapp (17), Ashleigh Gardner (13), Kim Garth (11), Annabel Sutherland (11), Kristen Beams (9)
Rapid stats
- Sydney Sixers have won seven of their last nine WBBL matches against the Melbourne Stars (L2); although, their most recent defeat in that span came when they last met at North Sydney Oval (19 October 2023).
- Melbourne Stars have taken eight wickets at an average of 15.3 during the powerplay across their last six WBBL innings; it’s more than twice as many wickets as they took during this period in their eight innings prior (3 wickets).
- Melbourne Stars have won only one of their last seven WBBL matches outside Victoria (L6) – a 33-run victory against the Perth Scorchers (22 November 2023); the Stars have been completely bowled out in each of their last two defeats in that span.
- Sophie Day (Melbourne Stars) has taken at least three wickets in each of her last three WBBL innings when she’s bowled her full four overs on the day (10 wickets in total); she logged figures of 5-25 in her most recent innings against the Sydney Sixers (8 November 2023).
- Ashleigh Gardner (90) is one away from surpassing Marizanne Kapp (90) for the outright most wickets for the Sydney Sixers in WBBL history; although, she did not take a wicket in her most recent innings in the competition against the Melbourne Stars (8 November 2023).
What's on the line?
The Melbourne Stars remain winless in WBBL|10 but will be well rested playing their first game since their loss against the Scorchers on Sunday.
They come against a Sixers side looking to avenge their loss against the Adelaide Strikers at North Sydney Oval just a few days ago.
A win will give the Stars some nice momentum before their first game at home on Sunday against the Hurricanes. A win for the Sixers will establish them in the top four before they have a four-day break.
Weber WBBL|10 standings