Gardner's sublime over snaps Hobart Hurricanes' WBBL streak
The home side were on track for another victory before Sydney Sixers' captain took three quick wickets
AAP
22-Nov-2025 • 13 hrs ago
Ash Gardner produced a game-changing over • Getty Images
Sydney Sixers 147 for 9 (Dunkley 50, Graham 4-29) beat Hobart Hurricanes 136 (Villani 42*, Gardner 4-36) by 11 runs
A bowling blitz from allrounder Ash Gardner powered Sydney Sixers to an 11-run win that snaps Hobart Hurricanes' undefeated start to the WBBL.
Her side chasing 148 for victory, Elyse Villani helped Hurricanes overcome some middle-order wobbles and take control at Bellerive Oval. The hosts required 19 runs from the last three overs with four wickets in hand.
Gardner had been expensive, going at 1 for 34 across her first three overs, but was thrown the ball with Saturday's game hanging in the balance.
The Sixers captain dispatched of Hayley Silver-Holmes as she attempted an audacious sweep shot before also collecting Molly Strano's stumps as she attempted a hero shot of her own on the next delivery.
Lauren Smith mistimed Gardner's last ball of the over and picked out Sophia Dunkley at extra cover, leaving Hurricanes with only No. 11 Linsey Smith to partner Villani.
When Smith skied to midwicket off Lauren Cheatle, Hurricanes were all out on 136 and left to wonder how the game had slipped so quickly out of their hands.
The victory ended Hurricanes' winning streak on five - their equal-longest in WBBL history - and helped Sixers bounce back from a disastrous 111-run loss in a rain-affected last start against Melbourne Stars.
Earlier, the summer's leading wicket-taker Heather Graham came up with WBBL career-best figures to help consign the Sixers to 147 for 9 at the close of their innings.
That was no mean feat after the visitors won the toss and looked in command during a 75-run opening stand between Dunkley and Ellyse Perry.
Dunkley notched her second half-century of the summer after surviving a scare on 7, the third umpire ruling her bat came down in time to thwart Lizelle Lee's stumping effort.
But Sixers' innings never hit the same heights after Dunkley lobbed Graham's slower ball out to Rachel Trenaman at long on.
Only Gardner joined Perry and Dunkley in passing 50 as the Sixers lost 4 for 6 to finish their innings with Graham on song. Graham had her four-fer by collecting Erin Burns' stumps as the veteran stepped back and mistimed her shot.