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WBBL round-up: Shabnim Ismail secures Thunder's semi-final, Alyssa Healy hits 48-ball ton as Sixers go out

WBBL, Cricket

Sydney Thunder 4 for 116 (Knight 25, Carey 2-23) beat Hobart Hurricanes 9 for 115 (Moloney 39, Ismail 3-10) by six wickets

A devastating spell of fast bowling from Shabnim Ismail helped Sydney Thunder secure a WBBL finals spot with a six-wicket victory over last-placed Hobart Hurricanes in the final round of the season.

Ismail's burst of pace in the Powerplay left the Hurricanes reeling at 3 for 4 in the third over. She removed Nicola Carey and Hayley Matthews in the first over after Rachael Haynes had won the toss and sent the Hurricanes in. Carey miscued a pull shot to square leg while Matthews played on trying to defend. Two overs later Chloe Tryon got a leading edge trying to flick off her pads and the sky ball was comfortably taken by Tahlia Wilson.

Ismail finished with 3 for 10 from four overs and the Hurricanes never really recovered. Rachel Priest and Sasha Moloney shared a 57-run stand but took 58 balls to do so. Hannah Darlington also claimed three wickets for the Thunder as the Hurricanes finished at 9 for 115 from their 20 overs.

The chase wasn't completely smooth sailing but it was comfortable enough thanks to contributions from Heather Knight (25) and Tammy Beaumont (22). Phoebe Litchfield (24 not out) and Sammy-Jo Johnson came together at 4 for 81 and guided the side home comfortably to ensure the Thunder qualified for the finals while the Hurricanes finished last with just three wins.

Sydney Sixers 5 for 184 (Healy 111) beat Melbourne Stars 4 for 178 (Lanning 77) by five wickets (DLS method)

Alyssa Healy smoked a breathtaking 48-ball century, the fourth-fastest in WBBL history, but it was not enough for the Sydney Sixers to reach the knockouts as they were left with a near-impossible net run-rate deficit to overhaul - a requirement beyond even the powers of Healy.

Still, it was a magnificent display for a good crowd at North Sydney Oval who enjoyed the mountain of boundaries that came from both sides after Meg Lanning had earlier put in a cracking display of her own. To qualify for the semi-finals, the Sixers had to chase the target in six overs so that was off the cards from the start. Healy just played her normal game, getting off the mark with a six against Katherine Brunt, and peppering the boundary with regularity as overs rarely dipped below the double-figure mark.

The opening stand with Ellyse Perry was worth 150 in 14.1 overs when Perry chipped to midwicket which sparked a wobble as four wickets fell in eight balls including Healy. However, Angela Reakes held her nerve with 21 off 12 balls to complete a brilliant chase.

The Stars' top order had put in a strong display of their own, Lanning and Elyse Villani added 79 for the first wicket even though Villani appeared to be battling a leg injury. There was then significant acceleration between Lanning and Nat Sciver as they added 82 off just 33 balls either side of a brief rain delay which knocked an over off the innings.

Adelaide Strikers 6 for 159 (Wellington 48, Glenn 4-18) beat Perth Scorchers 7 for 156 (Mooney 60, Devine 57) by three runs

The Scorchers suffered a startling collapse as they wasted another century opening stand between Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney which left them needing to wait for the outcome of Stars verses Sixers to see if they secured a semi-final spot. They held a significant net run-rate advantage so it would take a huge swing in the Sixers' favour to deny them but the way they couldn't seal the chase from such a strong position raised questions about the middle order.

Devine again struck the ball with power and Mooney moved along effortlessly as the pair broke the back of the chase, following their unbroken 140-run stand the previous day, but from needed 42 off 37 balls things went badly wrong after Devine skied a catch to the keeper. It came down to needing nine off the last over bowled by Sarah Coyte and Jemma Barsby was run out off the first delivery. A boundary from the last ball would have earned a Super Over but it proved beyond Taneale Peschel.

It had been a fine innings from Amanda-Jade Wellington which transformed a stuttering Strikers innings and gave the Scorchers a tougher chase than appeared likely. She struck 48 off 25 balls after the top order had played solidly but without taking the game away from the Scorchers. Katie Mack skipped to 32 off 20 balls and Laura Wolvaardt completed her tournament with another compact innings while Sarah Glenn was again impressive with the ball.

Brisbane Heat 6 for 114 (Kerr 35*, Tahuhu 2-16) beat Melbourne Renegades 76 (Prestwidge 4-12) by 43 runs (DLS method)

A career-best haul of 4 for 12 from Georgia Prestwidge helped defending champions Brisbane Heat thump Melbourne Renegades to secure the second spot on the WBBL table ahead of the finals.

Defending a DLS-adjusted target of 120 in 17 overs, Prestwidge and Delissa Kimmince sliced through the Renegades top order as they crumbled to be all out for just 76. Kimmince found Lizelle Lee's outside edge off the first ball of the chase with a superb outswinger.

Prestwidge then had both Josephine Dooley and Rebecca Carter caught behind in the third over, extracting some extra bounce from the Drummoyne Oval surface, although Dooley was attempting a ramp stroke. The Renegades slumped to 3 for 7 and never recovered. Only four players reached double figures but no one passed 14 as Prestwidge took four wickets for the first time in her WBBL career while Jess Jonassen and Amelia Kerr claimed two wickets each. It completed an excellent all-round display from Kerr who made 35 not out off 26 balls with the bat to help the Heat post a competitive total having scored at less than a run-a-ball during the powerplay. Lea Tahuhu proved difficult to deal with claiming 2 for 16 from her four overs. But the Renegades season ended with a whimper after their brilliant win over the Sydney Sixers on Saturday night.

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