’CANES UPSET SIXERS
HOBART absorbed a toporder collapse and a Marizanne Kapp all-round masterclass to upset the Sydney Sixers by five wickets in their WBBL clash yesterday.
Set a target of 135 runs last night for their first WBBL victory over the Sixers, the Hurricanes slumped to 4-20 after the powerplay at North Sydney Oval thanks to the new-ball brilliance of Kapp (3-23).
But boom recruit Nicola Carey (55 not out) made a timely return to form and helped to steer Hobart across the line with 10 deliveries to spare. Carey was helped along the way by captain Corinne Hall (28), with whom she shared a matchturning 69-run fifth-wicket partnership, and Chloe Tryon who crushed an unbeaten 29 off 12 balls.
Tryon finished the match in style, clubbing Kapp for consecutive sixes to secure Hobart’s first win in eight outings. Earlier, the Sixers, minus injured superstar captain Ellyse Perry (shoulder), also crumbled at the start of their innings before recovering to reach 7-134.
Player-of-the-match Belinda Vakarewa (4-19) blasted out English batter Hollie Armitage (drafted in as Perry’s replacement), acting captain Alyssa Healy, Ash Gardner and Erin Burns as the Sixers crashed to 5-30.
Fresh off her maiden WBBL half-century at the weekend, in-form Kapp resurrected the Sixers’ innings with a fine unbeaten 55.
Kapp received fine support from Lauren Smith (23) and wife Dane van Niekerk (17no) late before proving equally valiant with the ball in a losing cause as the Sixers reached respectability.