WBBL | Silver-holmes strikes gold to make Hobart Hurricanes' go two in two with rout of Sydney Sixers

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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Hobart Hurricanes' flying start to the Women's Big Bash League season continued as they stomped past Sydney Sixers by six wickets on Thursday. Hayley Silver-holmes struck thrice in a over to keep the hosts to 152/9 and set-up just a third head-to-head win for Hobart over the Sixers in 21 meetings.

Lizelle Lee struck her 12th WBBL half-century to help Hobart Hurricanes cruise to the 153-run target against Sydney Sixers in North Sydney on Thursday

‌Asked to bat first, Sophie Dunkley began with aplomb for the Sixers as she struck a first-ball boundary and Ellyse Perry replicated the effort on the final ball of the over. The latter added two more in the next over to place Hobart under the pump but Nicola Carey bounced back with a gorgeous inswinger to flick the top of off-stump and send Dunkley packing. Nevertheless, Perry continued to purr along with Alyssa Healy making her season debut at the other end as the duo combined for six boundaries in their 44-run stand off 39 deliveries. However, just when the duo seemed to be setting up something big, Heather Graham got one to sneak past Perry and castle her for a 29-ball 33, leaving the Sixers 72/2 at the halfway mark. Healy counterattacked with two boundaries against Tahlia Wilson as the Sixers took 20 off the next two overs, prompting the introduction of Hayley Silver-holmes back into the attack. The quick surprised Ashleigh Gardner with a sharp bumper first ball, earning a top-edge that was pocketed safely by Natalie-Sciver Brunt. Amelie Kerr walked in next and was completely deceived by a slower one first-ball that went through bat and pad to strike timber, three balls before Healy departed for 37 off 26 in eerily similar fashion. Lauren Smith dispatched Erin Bruns four balls later as the Sixers slid from 92/2 to 95/6. Maitlan Brown (29 off 21) and Mady Villiers (19 off 14) took over the responsibility of achieving a competitive score thereafter with thoughtful batting, the duo combining for four boundaries in the power surge to take 26 runs off the two-over spell. The 45-run stand was finally ended courtesy of a run-out in the penultimate over and it took a last-ball four from Lauren Cheatle to take the Sixers past 150 as they posted 152/9.

In response, the Hurricanes got off to a rampaging start, as Lizelle Lee set the ton by smashing Gardner for a maximum in two boundaries in the first over itself. Danni Wyatt-Hodge responded with three boundaries off her soon after as the side raced to 41/0 at the end of the four-over powerplay, which further inflated to 74/0 by the end of eight overs. Wyatt-Hodge, fresh off a match-winning 92, switched gears again like her previous knock by taking Kerr for 17 in the ninth over as the required rate fell under six. Gardner finally ended the 95-run opening stand by having the Englishwoman hole out for 45 off 26 deliveries, in the same over that Lee brought up a 31-ball half-century. Nat Sciver-Brunt seemed in a hurry to get them through to the end with two early boundaries but Cheatle set back the momentum by ending Lee's stay for 55 off a top-edge. However, Nicola Carey piled on the misery by beginning her knock with back-to-back boundaries and by the end of over 14, the Sixers were left with just 14 to get. Caoimhe Bray introduced slight jeopardy to the mix by dispatching Sciver-Brunt and Graham in the space of four balls but Carey stood firm, remaining unbeaten on 26 off 18 as she secured the win with a boundary in the 17th over.

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