The Sydney Sixers are into their second successive WBBL final after thrashing the Hobart Hurricanes by 103 runs in the second semi-final at the Gabba
Match Report:
ScorecardSixers smash 'Canes to seal spot in WBBL final
Match in a tweet: Healy's pulsating knock sinks the Hurricanes as the Sixers enter the WBB final for the second successive season
The score: Sydney Sixers 6-169 (Healy 77) in 20 overs defeated Hobart Hurricanes 10-66 (van Niekerk 3-15) by 103 runs.
The hero: Alyssa Healy was on fire at the Gabba. The Sixers stand-in skipper, filling in for an injured Ellyse Perry, was delightful to watch as she hit the ball long, hard and straight. Healy started her brutal assault by smacking Amy Satterthwaite over the ropes from the sixth ball she faced before hammering four boundaries in space of eight balls to get the Sixers off to a flyer. Healy reached her 50 from just 31 balls and at that point she had scored 82 per cent of her team's runs. The feature of Healy's innings was her inside-out cover drives against the pace bowlers and the spinners. Her blistering knock of 77 from 45 balls included 10 fours and two sizzling sixes.
The support cast: Marizanne Kapp’s late order cameo of 36 from 25 balls ensured the Sixers were able to keep up their momentum throughout their innings. The South African was both innovative and conventional as she blasted three boundaries to propel the Sixers to a formidable total of 6-169. Kapp then backed it up with fine spell with the new ball, finishing with 3-0-20-1.
The catch: Julie Hunter snared a spectacular leaping catch at backward point to dismiss Sixers allrounder Ashleigh Gardner. The veteran pace bowler moved swiftly to her right and timed her leap perfectly to take a brilliant athletic catch.
The moment: Erin Burns was looking in ominous form for the Hurricanes, racing to 14 from 15 balls but her innings was cut short thanks to a stunning one-handed caught and bowled by Gardner. The wicket changed the dynamic of the game completely as the Hurricanes lost 4-4 in the next 13 balls.
The injury: The Sixers had already lost Ellyse Perry before the semi-final due to a hamstring injury and the Sixers received another scare when Sara McGlashan hurt her knee while stretching to make her ground. McGlashan was treated on the ground but resumed her innings to score a breezy innings of 38 from 32 balls. McGlashan only fielded for eight overs but later told Channel 10 she expected to be right for the final. But less positive is the news on Perry, with Healy telling Roz Kelly post-match that she did not expect Perry to be fit in time for the Big Final at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
The record: The Sixers' winning margin of 103 was the highest winning margin by runs in WBBL history.
The wash-up: So it's season over for the Hurricanes, who bow out in the semi-finals for the second successive season. Meanwhile, the Sixers head into their second-straight final and will be hoping to go one better than last year when they face off against the Perth Scorchers at #TheFurnace on Saturday.