Sixers and Scorchers tie, Renegades outclass Hurricanes

The Melbourne Renegades have locked in a WBBL finals berth and left Hobart's top-four hopes hanging in the balance after comfortably beating the Hurricanes by 22 runs. In the second match of a double-header at Hobart's Bellerive Oval on Thursday night, Georgia Wareham's career-best 69 helped the Renegades to 5-150, before the Hurricanes were restricted to 8-128 in reply. The 'Gades slumped to 4-53 before being rescued with an 81-run wicket union between Wareham and Naomi Stalenberg (36no). Nicole Carey (3-26) was the pick of bowlers for the Hurricanes, whose run chase failed to gain any momentum. They crashed to 3-18 in the seventh over after losing swashbuckling Lizelle Lee (0), Carey (2) and Heather Graham (2) cheaply. When West Indian Deandra Dottin bowled Hobart captain Elyse Villani (37) with a searing yorker, a sixth win from their past seven starts was all but sealed for the Renegades (10 points), who can still knock Sydney Thunder (13 points) off top spot. In the earlier game, the Perth Scorchers (nine points) edged past the Hurricanes (eight) into fourth spot with a dramatic super-over tie against the sixth-ranked Sydney Sixers. Sixers star Ash Gardner took 4-21 as the Scorchers lost their last nine wickets for 31 to stumble to 126 all out from 19.2 overs. The Sixers posted 7-126 from their 20 overs, falling short of a regulation win despite Ellyse Perry's fine 67 from 53 balls. In the initial super over, Perry (12no) smacked a six and a four as the Sydneysiders made 0-15 from Amy Edgar's spin bowling. Perth then mustered 1-15, with Mikayla Hinkley hitting Gardner's last ball for four to again tie scores. Perry had paced the chase before falling to Alana King (3-21) in the 18th over. The legspinner struck again with her next delivery, trapping Maitlan Brown leg before wicket. That left the Sixers needing 20 from 15 balls; and the equation was 12 runs to win from the last over delivered by Edgar, who conceded 11. Edgar was summoned to bowl the super over and Perry smashed a six and four as the Sixers made 0-15. Gardner then conceded the same amount, with Hinkley unbeaten on 14 from four balls - three of which she hit to the boundary.