A stellar all-round performance from Ash Gardner has guided the Sydney Sixers to the top of the WBBL|08 ladder as the competition approaches the halfway stage.

Gardner's complete performance included a career best 4-23 with the ball before compiling a destructive 43 (22) with the bat, guiding the Sixers to a fourth tournament win in five matches with her Player of the Match performance.

Reduced to 12 overs-a-side, the Sixers invited the Hurricanes to bat at Ballarat's Eastern Oval.

The Hurricanes started quickly with South African overseas players Lizelle Lee partnering with Mignon du Preez in a 28 run second wicket stand.

Scoring at nine runs per over, the Hurricanes were on top at 1-36 before the introduction of Gardner.

The off-spinning all-rounder struck in her first over, bowling Lee (24) on the last ball of the fifth over.

She then struck again when brought back into the attack, dismissing Heather Graham (16) in the eighth over before claiming the back-to-back wickets of Rachel Trenaman (8) and Ruth Johnston (0) in the eleventh, leaving the Hurricanes reeling at 7-86.

In chase of Hobart's 8-95, the dismissal of captain Alyssa Healey (2) brought Gardner to the crease early in just the second over of the chase.

Partnering with New Zealand all-rounder Suzie Bates (25), Gardner quickly went about boosting the Sydney's run-rate, setting the Sixers on the path to victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2D_KuDHevU

The Muruwari woman dispatched Hurricanes' bowler Hayley Jensen for multiple boundaries inside her first 10 balls before striking two sixes and a four of Heather Graham's over, the fifth of the chase.

She struck a third six off spin bowler Maisy Gibson in the seventh over before being bowled by Gibson for 42 from just 22 balls after striking at 195.45.

Gardner's whirlwind knock left the Sixers requiring only 27 for victory, with the target of 96 reached by Bates and Erin Burns (23) with more than an over to spare.

At the same venue against the Melbourne Renegades Gardner also contributed to a fifth Sixers victory of the tournament, scoring 17 (10) and whilst delivering figures of 1-21 (4).

Gardner is one of six First Nations women currently playing for Big Bash League franchises, however opportunities for her Indigenous counterparts have been limited.

The Brisbane Heat's Mikayla Hinkley has only been selected for one out of a possible seven of the Heat's matches, where she scored 1 from 2 balls in a loss to Gardner's Sixers.

Batter Anika Learoyd has played in three out of six matches for the Sydney Thunder, with her best (26 from 40) coming against the Perth Scorchers.

Although economical, Melbourne Renegades off-spinner Ella Hayward is yet to take a wicket in her seven tournament overs delivered across three matches.

Emma Manix-Geeves (Hobart Hurricanes), is yet to feature in the Hurricanes' playing eleven, whilst Hannah Darlington (Sydney Thunder), has also not played in WBBL|08 so far this tournament.

It is expected that Darlington, a 20-year-old bowling all-rounder will return to the Thunder's eleven once fully recovered from a meniscus injury that she sustained late in the pre-season.