The Sydney Sixers continued their dominant streak in the tournament on Thursday, November 12, extending their unbeaten run to five matches after defeating the Melbourne Renegades by 11 runs at Junction Oval. Melie Kerr led the batting effort with a crucial 34-ball 53, helping the Sixers post a total of 140/6. Although Ellyse Perry contributed 30 off 41 balls, the team experienced a late-innings collapse. Milly Illingworth proved effective with the ball for the Renegades, claiming 2-24. She shared a 55-run stand with Perry who continued to struggle before eventually being dismissed for a 41-ball 30.
In the chase, the Renegades found themselves in early trouble, slipping to 22/3 by the fifth over. A brief recovery came through Sophie Molineux and Nicole Faltum, but their exit left the side reeling at 63/5 in the 12th over. Tess Flintoff provided a glimmer of hope with a 44-run effort, partnering with Georgia Wareham for 60 runs, but once Flintoff fell in the 19th over, the team crumbled. Needing 18 from the final over, the Renegades lost four wickets to be bowled out for 129, as Ashleigh Gardner finished with impressive figures of 3-13. In response, the Renegades too struggled at the outset and were reduced to 22 for 3 in the fifth over.
At the same venue, the Brisbane Heat celebrated their third consecutive victory by comfortably chasing down 166 against the Melbourne Stars. The Stars initially set a strong platform with a 108-run opening stand, led by Meg Lanning’s 52 and Amy Jones’s aggressive 74. Despite an eight-ball cameo of 20 runs from Georgia Prestwidge late in the innings, the Stars were unable to push beyond 165/5, with Sianna Ginger taking 2-22. The Stars’ openers led the way with a 108-run stand, opting to bat first. Skipper Meg Lanning made 52 before she was dismissed by Sarah Glenn in the 14th over while Amy Jones carried on to score 74 before falling to Sianna Ginger in the 19th. A quickfire eight-ball 20 from Georgia Prestwidge powered the Stars towards the death but there were no other substantial contributions barring the opening stand. There was little respite for the Stars thereafter as both batters attacked.
The Heat’s pursuit began with an early loss of Grace Harris, but captain Georgia Redmayne and Orla Prendergast anchored the innings perfectly. An unbroken 105-run partnership ensured the Heat reached their target with seven balls to spare. Redmayne remained unbeaten on 74, while Prendergast finished on 52, together hitting 19 boundaries to secure an eight-wicket win. Losing Grace Harris in the second over but a 47-run partnership between Charli Knott and Redmayne kept them on track, heat suffered an early setback. Bringing Prendergast to the crease, knott fell to Annabel Sutherland in the seventh over.
Brief Scores: Melbourne Stars 165/5 in 20 overs (Amy Jones 74, Meg Lanning 52; Sianna Ginger 2-22) lost to Brisbane Heat 166/2 in 18.5 overs (Georgia Redmayne 74, Orla Prendergast 52) by 8 wickets. Sydney Sixers 140/6 in 20 overs (Melie Kerr 53; Milly Illingworth 2-24) beat Melbourne Renegades 129 in 20 overs (Tess Flintoff 44; Ashleigh Gardner 3-13) by 11 runs. Brief Scores: Melbourne Stars 165/5 in 20 overs (Amy Jones 74, Meg Lanning 52; Sianna Ginger 2-22) lost to Brisbane Heat 166/2 in 18.5 overs (Georgia Redmayne 74, Orla Prendergast 52; Annabel Sutherland 1-32) by 8 wickets.
