WBBL 2021-22 – Brisbane Heat outgun Sydney Sixers despite Ashleigh Gardner heroics

Hamza Hameed November 9, 2021

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Gardner made 86 not out off 52 balls in a losing cause as Grace Harris’ 54 led Heat to a dominant chase

Brisbane Heat 2 for 162 (Harris 54, Voll 48*, Radha 1-33) beat Sydney Sixers 2 for 159 (Gardner 86*, Bolton 38*, Prestwidge 1-23) by eight wickets

Ashleigh Gardner‘s stunning innings was in vain as Brisbane Heat’s top four chased down 160 with ease to brush aside Sydney Sixers at Karen Rolton Oval and reclaim second spot on the WBBL table.

Gardner made 86 not out from just 52 balls with six fours and five sixes to help Sixers post a total of 2 for 159, but a half-century from Grace Harris and 48 not out from Georgia Voll, along with contributions from Georgia Redmayne and Laura Kimmince saw Heat mow down the target with nine balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.

Harris continued her excellent season smashing four fours and two sixes, sharing a 53-run opening stand with Redmayne (27 off 18) who struck three fours and a six as well. But Gardner ended the partnership with a brilliant throw from the deep to run out Redmayne.

However, Sixers would make just one more breakthrough with Harris holing out to deep square leg for 54 with 60 still needed from 47 balls. Voll and Kimmince hardly broke a sweat in reaching the target. Voll played with amazing control striking seven boundaries including the winning runs, while Kimmince smashed two sixes and a four in her 23 not out off 15 balls.

Earlier, Gardner’s extraordinary innings was needed to overcome a terribly slow start from Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry. The veteran openers combined for 30 runs off 44 balls with just three boundaries. Healy made 16 from 26 and fell in the 12th over. It was left to Gardner and Nicole Bolton to pick up the slack. They scored 87 from the last eight overs of the innings with Bolton contributing 38 not out from 24 balls. But it wasn’t enough to make up for the slow start.

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