Tryon the hero in thriller after Sixers help remove the covers
Melbourne Stars needed seven from the last over of the rain-hit clash
AAP
08-Nov-2023
Chloe Tryon was the hero for Sydney Sixers in a dramatic finish • Getty Images
Sydney Sixers 134 for 7 (Day 5-25) beat Melbourne Stars 51 for 6 (Tryon 3-2) by four runs (DLS method)
Sydney Sixers went from removing covers in a bid to allow play to resume to pulling off a most unlikely rain-affected four-run WBBL win over Melbourne Stars.
Staring down the barrel of defeat during a lengthy break in play, Sixers returned to the field to orchestrate one of the great comebacks on Wednesday.
Behind by one run when lightening struck near Ringwood in Melbourne's outer suburbs, Sixers looked shot with the Stars 44 for 3 after 5.4 overs.
But when the rain abated, Sixers players emerged in their magenta uniforms to help groundstaff prepare the field and allow enough time for 1.2 more overs to be bowled.
Even then Sixers looked behind the eight-ball, with Stars emerging needing 12 off eight balls to take victory
Maia Bouchier then hit five off the next two balls from Ellyse Perry, to all but get Stars home.
Enter Chloe Tryon and her left-arm fingerspin. After sending down a dot ball and wide, the South African had Bouchier and Nicole Faultam caught at mid off on back-to-back balls to put Sixers on top.
She then bowled a dot ball to Kim Garth, conceded a single and had Annabel Sutherland caught on the boundary off the last ball to finish with 3 for 2 and claim the four-run win.
The victory is a massive boost to Sixers' finals hopes, putting them in fifth on the ladder with a 3-5 record.
Stars, in contrast, will likely need to win at least six of their last seven matches to have any hope of making the semi-finals.
The hosts were earlier in control of the game when left-arm finger spinner Sophie Day claimed career-best figures of 5 for 25.
The 25-year-old took the key wickets of Sixers' three most accomplished batters in Perry, Ashleigh Gardner and Suzie Bates.
She also removed opener Maitlan Brown, while stunting Sixers' momentum late with the wicket of Mathilda Carmichael for 9.
But Lauren Cheatle was able to put the pressure on Stars early in their chase before the lightning struck, with figures of 2 for 13.
Linsey Smith also removed Meg Lanning for a five-ball duck, before Alice Capsey's 21 off 14 and Bouchier's 19 put Stars back in the hunt and set up the thrilling finish.