A bowling blitz from superstar allrounder Ash Gardner has powered the Sydney Sixers to an 11-run win that snaps the Hobart Hurricanes' undefeated start to the WBBL.
With her side chasing 148 for victory at Hobart's Ninja Stadium, veteran Elyse Villani helped the Hurricanes overcome some middle-order wobbles and take control at Bellerive Oval.
The hosts required just 19 runs from the last three overs with four wickets in hand.
Enter Gardner, who had been expensive with figures of 1-34 (3), yet made the brave decision to take the ball with Saturday's game hanging in the balance.
The Sixers skipper dispatched of Hayley Silver-Holmes (6) as she attempted an audacious sweep shot before also collecting Molly Strano's stumps as the tweaker attempted a hero shot of her own on the next delivery.
Ash Gardner takes two in two!
And the hat-trick ball wasn't far away... 👀 #WBBL11 pic.twitter.com/RKrRDE9oMT
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 22, 2025
Lauren Smith (1) then mistimed the last ball of the Muruwari allrounder set, picking out Sophia Dunkley at extra cover, leaving Hobart with only No.11 Linsey Smith to partner Villani (42no).
When Smith skied to mid-wicket off Lauren Cheatle, the Hurricanes were all out on 136 and left to wonder how the game had slipped so quickly out of their hands.
Gardner finished with 4-36 from her four overs.
The victory ends the Hurricanes' winning streak on five - their equal-longest in WBBL history - and helps the Sixers bounce back from a disastrous 111-run loss in a rain-affected last start against the Melbourne Stars.
Earlier, the summer's leading wicket-taker Heather Graham (4-29) came up with WBBL career-best figures to help consign the Sixers to 9-147 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 seven, the third umpire ruling her bat came down in time to thwart Lizelle Lee's stumping effort.
But the Sixers' innings never hit the same heights after Dunkley (50 off 46 balls) lobbed Graham's slower ball out to Rachel Trenaman at long on.
Only Gardner (25) joined Perry (28) and Dunkley in passing 50 as the Sixers lost 4-6 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.
Australian Associated Press
