Last-ball thriller gives Sixers winning start
Brisbane Heat's wait for a win in the WBBL has now stretched beyond 700 days
Sydney Sixers made a winning start to the 2026 Women's Big Bash following a thrilling last-ball win over Brisbane Heat in Brisbane on Friday (October 30). Sixers were heading towards a comfortable victory in their opening game of the new campaign before a late collapse saw them almost squander the contest. With that result, Heat's wait for a win in the WBBL has now stretched beyond 700 days.
After being sent in, Heat got off to a flier when Charli Knott slammed the first two balls of the match for boundaries before clearing the ropes in the following over. While she lost her opening partner Grace Harris immediately, Knott continued to sizzle with a flurry of boundaries. Georgia Redmayne then took over with successive boundaries as the pair dominated proceedings to guide Heat to 79/1 at the halfway mark.
With momentum firmly on their side, the two batters made merry and even brought up their respective fifties in the same over. Ashleigh Gardner then returned to the attack to finally break the 97-run stand which eventually had a huge say in the end result. Heat stuttered at the death and kept losing wickets at regular intervals, sapping them of all the momentum they had gained up until then. Only 37 runs were scored in the final five overs which meant Heat finished with only 154 - a total that was definitely 20 short given where they were at one point.
The pattern was quite similar in the chase as well. Sophia Dunkley made a rapid start for Sixers as she kept dealing in boundaries. After six overs, Sixers had already wiped out 53 runs from the target without losing a wicket. Even though Sianna Ginger gave Heat a timely breakthrough with Dunkley's dismissal, Sixers were comfortably placed. Even though Amelia Kerr wasn't fluent in her innings, Perry at the other end went after Lucy Hamilton in the 13th over to fetch four boundaries in an 18-run over.
Even after Kerr got castled for a 20-ball 18, Perry still kept going, brought up her fifty with a four and followed it up with a six off the next ball to bring the equation down to 41 off 36 with 8 wickets in hand. However, Heat sent Gardner and Perry packing in successive overs to turn the game around right at the death. While Alice Capsey continued to fight, Heat struck at the other end as the equation came down to 10 off 8 and then 5 off 6 following a crucial boundary. A couple of dot balls and a run out meant another twist was in store, with the Sixers needing 2 from the final ball. Sarah Coyte then managed to find a gap between two fielders for a boundary that gave her side a thrilling win.
Brief scores: Brisbane Heat 154/5 in 20 overs (Georgia Redmayne 58, Charli Knott 57; Ashleigh Gardner 2-25) lost to Sydney Sixers 157/6 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 58, Sophia Dunkley 37; Charli Knott 2-25) by 4 wickets
