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Adelaide Strikers 114 for 5 (Mack 50, McGrath 36, Cheatle 2-22) beat Sydney Sixers 111 for 6 (Brown 32*, Mushangwe 2-18, Wellington 2-24) by five wickets
The rematch of last season’s WBBL final was an anti-climax with a disciplined Strikers attack restricting Sixers to an underwhelming total of 111 for 6.
Mack and McGrath had no such difficulty with a commanding 77-run second-wicket partnership as Strikers cruised to the target in the 18th over. A slew of late wickets, including Mack and McGrath, flattered Sixers who were convincingly outplayed throughout the contest.
They desperately needed early wickets, but started raggedly with a misfield from captain Ellyse Perry gifting Mack a boundary in the first over. Sixers’ confidence temporarily lifted when a cracking in-swinger from left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle’s first delivery bowled opener Laura Wolvaardt.
Sixers’ hopes were quickly dashed by Mack and McGrath as Perry reverted to a defensive field. Seemingly going through the motions, Sixers lacked inspiration and the microscope will be on the glamour franchise anchored to the bottom of the ladder.
With the temperature hovering at an unseasonal 35 degrees Celsius, Strikers elected to bowl on a hard surface promising lots of runs even though the pitch had a green-tinge.
Without Healy, Sixers have increasingly relied on Perry who has tried to hold together a stuttering top-order. She looked well on her way after a trademark drive through the covers off quick Megan Schutt then a dismissive flick for six in the third over.
Perry attempted to replicate the flick against seamer Danielle Gibson, but was undone by an inswinger and her stumps were rattled in a rarity of a dismissal for her.
The pressure was on opener Suzie Bates to end her form woes having only made 42 runs from five previous innings. She continued to look sluggish, including failing to connect on an attempted scoop.
Bates finally middled legspinner Amanda-Jade Wellington, but straight to Jemma Barsby who held onto a rocket at mid-on.
Sixers were shackled in the middle of their innings by Wellington and Mushangwe, who produced turn on a surface renowned as a spinning graveyard.
Not even the power surge could ignite Sixers with Maitlan Brown and Mathilda Carmichael managing just three runs across the 17th and 18th overs.
It was the equal fewest runs off a power surge in WBBL history as Sixers crawled to a mediocre total that was nowhere near enough.
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