Scorchers Secure WBBL Finals Spot with Dramatic Super Over Tie Against Sixers

The Perth Scorchers have edged closer to securing a spot in the WBBL finals after an extraordinary Super Over finish against the Sydney Sixers, with Mikayla Hinkley’s stunning boundary off the final ball ensuring a thrilling tie.

The match had already been a nail-biting affair, as the Scorchers stumbled to 126 all out in 19.2 overs, thanks to a brilliant performance from Ashleigh Gardner, who took 4 wickets for 21 runs. Despite Gardner’s heroics, the Sixers fell just short of a regulation victory, finishing one run shy of the target, despite Ellyse Perry’s brilliant 67 from 53 balls.

The drama continued in the Super Over. After a strong start from Perry, who launched Amy Edgar’s spin bowling for a six and a four, the Sixers posted 15 runs from their six balls. The Scorchers responded with a similarly tense reply. Gardner dismissed Beth Mooney with a sharp return catch, although replays suggested the ball might have been grounded. However, it was Hinkley who delivered the final twist, hitting Ashleigh Gardner's last ball for four to tie the scores once again and secure a point for each team.

The tie lifted the Scorchers to 9 points, moving them from fifth to fourth place in the standings, while the Sixers remained in sixth on 8 points.

Gardner’s exceptional bowling performance had put the Scorchers in a tough spot early in the match. After claiming her first wicket in the second over, she dismissed Brooke Halliday in the 12th over to break up a strong partnership with Beth Mooney. The pair had taken the score to 72 for 1 after 10 overs, but Halliday's dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse, with the Scorchers losing 9 wickets for just 31 runs. Only Sophie Devine managed to reach double figures in the lower order.

In response, Perry led the Sixers' chase with poise, reaching her half-century from 42 balls. However, her innings came to a heartbreaking end when she was caught on the long-off boundary off Alana King’s bowling in the 18th over. King struck again on the very next ball, removing Maitlan Brown for a duck, leaving the Sixers needing 20 runs from 15 balls to win.

With the equation coming down to 12 runs needed from the last over, Edgar held her nerve, conceding just 11 runs. The game was then decided by the Super Over, where Perry’s six and four initially set the Sixers up, only for Hinkley to deliver the final drama.

The Scorchers’ resilience in the Super Over secured them a crucial point, keeping them in the hunt for a finals berth as the WBBL season heats up.