Beth Mooney’s golden finish to the WBBL has taken Perth into the title decider, with the world’s best batter leading the Scorchers to an 11-run win over Sydney Sixers.
The form player of the tournament over the past fortnight, Mooney hit 76 for the Scorchers in Thursday night’s preliminary final to set up a date with Hobart.
Set 184 to win at North Sydney Oval, the Sixers started strong before Alana King took 3-17 from four overs to rip the heart out of the chase.
And while the Sixers needed 20 from the final over, Lilly Mills held her nerve to ensure the Scorchers’ passage to the grand final and end the Sixers’ season.
Ranked the No.1 batter in the world in T20 cricket for large parts of the past five years, Mooney’s form could well decide Saturday’s final in Hobart.
After hitting 75 against the Hurricanes a fortnight ago, the left-hander put the Scorchers into the finals with 94no in a must-win clash with Brisbane last week.
She then backed that up with 45 in Tuesday night’s knockout final against the Melbourne Stars in Perth, before again proving the difference on Thursday.
Offered a life on nine when Alyssa Healy fumbled a stumping chance, Mooney made the Sixers pay with the second-highest score in a WBBL finals match.
Mooney hit 11 boundaries and brought up her half-century off 27 deliveries, striking the ball crisply square of the wicket with a flurry of pulls, sweeps and cut shots.
A six also came when she picked up a low full toss from Ashleigh Gardner and dispensed the spinner over the backward-square rope.
Katie Mack offered support with 40 in a 66-run opening stand with Mooney, but the Queenslander then took over the innings with no other Scorcher passing 20.
Needing to pull off the highest successful finals chase in WBBL history, the Sixers looked in the contest with Sophia Dunkley and Ellyse Perry firing early.
But when Perry hit King straight to mid wicket on 29, the game swung.
Kerr (42) and Gardner (26) offered the hosts hope when they got the margin down to 61 off 30 after a big start to the power surge.
But King again ensured that would be a false dawn, having Gardner caught at mid off before getting Maitlan Brown stumped in her next over.
The result means the Sixers’ title drought will extend to eight seasons, after the star-studded club played in the first four WBBL finals.
