Ash Gardner's 2nd half- century wasn't enough as the Sixers were easily beaten by the Brisbane Heat. Image: @SixersBBL. Twitter
Ashleigh Gardner’s unbeaten 86 off 52 deliveries and second consecutive half-century went in vain as the Sydney Sixers were comprehensively beaten by the Brisbane Heat by 8 wickets.
Winning the bat flip and electing to bat on a fresh wicket at Karen Rolton Oval, the Sixers found it slow going in the powerplay with Alyssa Healy and skipper Ellyse Perry unable to get any flow in the powerplay overs and make use of the favourable conditions.
The Heat missed chances of their own, dropping both Healy and Perry when they were both on single digits before a simple runout chance in the 5th over went begging.
The Sixers batters found it slow going in the middle of Karen Rolton Oval – a ground which this season has been renowned for high scoring across the First Class, List A, and WBBL matches already played there this season. Yet, almost uncharacteristically, both Healy and Perry scored well below their usual strike rates, failing to find much fluency in their respective innings’.
Gardner, a week removed from the Sixers’ last game and her half-century at the WACA, also found it slow going early in her innings. Taking time to assess the conditions before finding her fluency and power, dispatching the ball to all parts of Karen Rolton Oval as she and Nicole Bolton (38* off 24) powered the Sixers to 2/159 off their 20 overs.
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The Sixers however were unable to make any inroads with the ball as the powerful opening combination of Grace Harris and Georgia Redmayne got the Heat off to a flying start. The pair raced through the powerplay unbeaten and put 50 runs on the board in the powerplay.
It was Gardner who made the opening breakthrough with a pinpoint throw from the deep to catch Georgia Redmayne short of her ground attempting a second run. Run out for 27.
The runs didn’t stop flowing for the Heat as Georgia Voll, Grace Harris, and Laura Kimmince, combined with some wayward bowling from the Sixers meant that the Heat chased down the total with relative ease.
It leaves the Sixers precariously placed with 5 regular-season games to play in WBBL|07. Sitting 4th with a 4-5 record and even with the Melbourne Stars in 5th position and with a close to even net run rate, the Sixers are leaving it late if the two-time champions will return to finals action this year.
The Sixers are back at Karen Rolton Oval tomorrow where they are set to face the Adelaide Strikers at 16:20 local time where they will home to get back on the winners’ list before flying north for a string of matches in Mackay.
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