Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades

The Renegades’ underwhelming season continued as they suffered a heavy defeat against the Sixers.

Despite a solid batting line-up on paper, the Renegades again failed to reach a solid score, with their top three batters combining for just 13 runs. At 7/67, the match looked over before it begun, but lower-order all-rounders Maitlan Brown (33) and Molly Strano (17 not out) combined to get their side to 110, which gave them a faint hope of victory.

That faint hope was quickly dashed by superstar Alyssa Healy, who blasted nine fours and two sixes on her way to 70 off just 42 balls. The Renegades couldn’t find an answer as Healy smashed boundaries off all types of bowlers, from Lea Tahuhu’s express pace to Georgia Wareham’s leggies.

Ellyse Perry has dominated the match, but if her superstar opening partner can fire as well, this Sixers team could be unbeatable.

Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers

The very next day, Healy backed up her incredible performance with an even better one, this time against the Adelaide Strikers.

Up against one of the most well-rounded attacks in the competition, Healy took no prisoners, with current and former internationals Dani Hazell, Sarah Coyte, Sophie Devine, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Tahlia McGrath all conceding over 9.5 runs per over.

Healy ended with seventeen boundaries, and she didn’t seem to favour a particular side of the wicket, instead playing the ball on its merits and dispatching it accordingly.  Drives, pulls, sweeps and reverse sweeps, this innings truly did have it all, and the 150 run opening stand with Ellyse Perry surely is ominous for opposing teams. Ash Gardner made a quick-fire 39 off 15 at the end to launch Sydney’s total over 200.

It was always going to be a tough chase for Adelaide, whose batting is not their strength at the best of times, and it proved to be the case as they stumbled to 132 all out. Left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle was the pick of the bowlers, with 3/22 off four, while young Hayley Silver-Holmes picked up her first two WBBL wickets.