Ellyse Perry delivered a stunning, career-best performance to propel the Sydney Sixers into the Women's Big Bash League finals with a nail-biting one-run victory over the Adelaide Strikers. The high-stakes clash at North Sydney Oval on Sunday was a straight shootout for a finals berth, with the Sixers emerging triumphant to book their first appearance in the postseason in three years.
Perry's Masterclass Sets the Stage
Facing immense pressure, opener Ellyse Perry played a truly remarkable innings, single-handedly steering her side to a formidable total. She crunched an unbeatable 111 runs from just 71 deliveries, a personal WBBL high score. Her powerful knock was laced with 16 fours and three massive sixes, demoralising the Strikers' bowling attack.
Perry's journey to her third WBBL century was not without drama. She enjoyed two major slices of luck during her innings. On 65, she was caught, only for replays to show Strikers bowler Tahlia McGrath had overstepped for a no-ball. Later, on 91, she inside-edged an Amanda-Jade Wellington delivery onto her stumps, but the bails miraculously remained intact.
She eventually fell in the final over, caught in the deep off the bowling of Eleanor Larosa. Perry had shared a dominant 141-run opening partnership with English import Sophia Dunkley, who made 54, laying a perfect platform for the Sixers' total of 4-173.
A Thrilling Final-Over Finish
In response, the Adelaide Strikers' chase started slowly, but a late, brutal assault from Bridget Patterson nearly stole the game. Patterson bludgeoned a rapid 30-ball half-century, setting up a dramatic final over where the Strikers needed 18 runs to win.
Patterson smashed Ashleigh Gardner for two fours and a six from the first three balls of the last over, leaving Adelaide needing just a handful of runs from the final three deliveries. After a single brought Wellington on strike, Gardner bowled her to leave new batter Sophie Ecclestone needing three to win off the very last ball.
Ecclestone scrambled for a second run to force a Super Over, but a sharp piece of fielding resulted in a run-out by wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, sealing a heart-stopping one-run victory for the Sixers and ending the Strikers' season.
Sixers Set for Finals Campaign
The victory means the Sydney Sixers finish the regular season in second place on the WBBL ladder. They are now just one win away from a spot in the final against the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval this Saturday.
First, they will host a Challenger final this Thursday against the winner of the Knockout final between the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars, which will be played on Tuesday.
A relieved and respectful Ellyse Perry, named Player of the Match, praised the contest. "I'm probably still processing it a little bit. An amazing contest," Perry told Channel 7. "For it to pan out the way that it did it feels really cruel, I don't think either team deserved to lose today. Utmost respect to the Strikers — it's just fallen our way today. We're absolutely stoked."
