Clearshotatstars

Hobart aiming to topple Sixers

HOBART quick Be lind aV akarewa says the Hurricanes remain firmly in finals contention ahead of Saturday’s clash with the star-studded Sydney Sixers.

The Hurricanes are sixth on the WBBL ladder after eight of 14 matches, just two points behind the fourthplaced Perth Scorchers. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals.

“With the washouts, everyone lost out on a couple of points there, so it’s quite a close competition other than a few of the teams that are at the top,”Vakarewa said.

“If we can put some good scores on the board here and get the wins over some big teams, then I think that will hopefully getting us into fourth place, or wherever we cancome.”

Hobart takes on the thirdplaced Sixer sat Sydney Showground Stadium on Saturday, and enters the game with momentum after beating the Melbourne Renegades by nine runsonTuesday.

Sydney beat the Hurricanes by nine runs when the two sides met last Saturday, and Vakarewa said while the result hadn’t gone Hobart’s way, the match had shown the players they could compete withthebest.

“It’s an important game and we didn’t get over the line [against] them last time, so to get the win over them would be awesome ,” she said.

“I think if we can just do all the basics right and everyone can really show upon the day, which is what we’ ve been talking about and preparing, then I think it will be a really, really close and good match .”

Sydney’s batting line-up boasts the likes of Australian stars Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry. Vakarewa — who has taken six wickets and conceded just 6.17 runs per over this season — said planning was important when preparing to take them on, but it is often best to stick to the basics.

“We have talks about fields and stuff like that, but a lot of it can be the conditions on the day,”shesaid.

“But they’re class players, so just really hit my lines and lengths is pretty much all I will tryand[do].”