2020–21 Sydney Sixers WBBL season

The 2020–21 Sydney Sixers Women's season was the sixth in the team's history. Coached by Ben Sawyer and captained by Ellyse Perry, the Sixers played the entirety of WBBL|06 in a bio-secure Sydney hub due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] They finished the regular season in fifth place on the points table, directly below the Perth Scorchers due to an inferior net run rate. Consequently, the Sixers narrowly missed out on qualifying for the finals for the second-straight year.

Sydney Sixers
2020–21 season
Sydney Sixers 2020–21 cap logo
Sydney Sixers 2020–21 cap logo
CoachBen Sawyer
Captain(s)Ellyse Perry
Home groundNorth Sydney Oval
LeagueWBBL
Record6–6 (5th)
FinalsDNQ
Leading Run ScorerAlyssa Healy – 402
Leading Wicket TakerMarizanne Kapp – 13
Player of the SeasonAlyssa Healy

Squad

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Each 2020–21 squad was made up of 15 active players. Teams could sign up to five 'marquee players', with a maximum of three of those from overseas. Marquees are classed as any overseas player, or a local player who holds a Cricket Australia national contract at the start of the WBBL|06 signing period.[2]

Personnel changes made ahead of the season included:

The table below lists the Sixers players and their key stats (including runs scored, batting strike rate, wickets taken, economy rate, catches and stumpings) for the season.[5][6][7]

No. Name Nat. Birth date Batting style Bowling style G R SR W E C S Notes
Batters
29 Erin Burns   22 June 1988 Right-handed Right-arm off spin 13 160 123.07 6 6.60 9
7 Maddy Darke   30 March 2001 Right-handed Right-arm off spin 2 1 100.00 0
6 Ashleigh Gardner   15 April 1997 Right-handed Right-arm off spin 9 93 134.78 6 6.15 4 Australian marquee
30 Angela Reakes   27 December 1990 Right-handed Right-arm leg spin 13 79 101.28 3
All-rounders
14 Jodie Hicks   19 January 1997 Right-handed Right-arm medium 13 0 0.00 1
17 Marizanne Kapp   4 January 1990 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium 13 192 106.07 13 6.14 4 Overseas marquee
8 Ellyse Perry   3 November 1990 Right-handed Right-arm fast 13 390 96.53 8 8.25 6 Captain, Australian marquee
20 Dane van Niekerk   14 May 1993 Right-handed Right-arm leg spin 13 166 101.84 10 7.28 0 Overseas marquee
Wicket-keeper
77 Alyssa Healy   24 March 1990 Right-handed 13 402 161.44 6 5 Australian marquee
Bowlers
3 Sarah Aley   3 June 1984 Right-handed Right-arm medium 8 3 75.00 6 8.35 1
18 Stella Campbell   15 June 2002 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium 13 2 50.00 10 7.96 0
5 Lauren Cheatle   6 November 1998 Left-handed Left-arm fast medium 2 0 0 6.00 1
54 Lisa Griffith   28 August 1992 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium 10 25 125.00 2 11.00 2
22 Emma Hughes   13 November 2000 Right-handed Right-arm medium 2 2 100.00 1 6.00 1
4 Hayley Silver-Holmes   18 August 2003 Right-handed Right-arm fast medium 7 0 0.00 4 7.63 1

Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W L NR Pts NRR
1 Melbourne Stars (RU) 14 8 3 3 19 0.965
2 Brisbane Heat 14 8 4 2 18 0.543
3 Sydney Thunder (C) 14 7 5 2 16 0.344
4 Perth Scorchers 14 6 6 2 14 0.355
5 Sydney Sixers 14 6 6 2 14 −0.084
6 Adelaide Strikers 14 6 7 1 13 0.135
7 Melbourne Renegades 14 4 8 2 10 −1.008
8 Hobart Hurricanes 14 3 9 2 8 −1.143
Source: [8]
  •   The top 4 teams advance to the knockout phase

Fixtures

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All times are local time


Match 3
25 October 2020
13:45
Scorecard
v
No result
North Sydney Oval
Umpires: David Taylor and Stephen Dionysius
  • Sydney Sixers won the toss and elected to field
  • No play was possible due to rain
  • Broadcast by Seven Network and Fox Cricket

Match 8
26 October 2020
14:30
Scorecard
Adelaide Strikers
7/68 (9 overs)
v
Sydney Sixers
1/47 (5.4 overs)
Bridget Patterson 28 (14)
Marizanne Kapp 3/14 (2 overs)
Alyssa Healy 27 (16)
Sarah Coyte 1/10 (1 over)
Sydney Sixers won by 9 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) (D/L method)
North Sydney Oval
Umpires: Stephen Dionysius and Greg Davidson
Player of the match: Alyssa Healy (Sydney Sixers)
  • Sydney Sixers won the toss and elected to field
  • Match reduced to 9 overs per side due to rain
  • Sydney Sixers were set a revised target of 46 runs from 6 overs due to further rain delays
  • Broadcast by Cricket Network

Match 12
31 October 2020
19:05 (D/N)
Scorecard
v
Match abandoned
Sydney Showground Stadium
Umpires: Muhammad Qureshi and Simon Lightbody

Match 15
1 November 2020
13:45
Scorecard
Melbourne Renegades
7/119 (18 overs)
v
Sydney Sixers
2/121 (13.1 overs)
Georgia Wareham 54* (27)
Stella Campbell 3/32 (4 overs)
Alyssa Healy 60 (31)
Georgia Wareham 2/35 (3 overs)
Sydney Sixers won by 8 wickets (with 29 balls remaining) (DLS method)
Sydney Showground Stadium
Umpires: Greg Davidson and Bede Sajowitz
Player of the match: Alyssa Healy (Sydney Sixers)
  • Sydney Sixers won the toss and elected to field
  • Match reduced to 18 overs per side due to rain delay
  • Broadcast by Seven Network and Fox Cricket

Match 20
4 November 2020
19:05 (D/N)
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
7/129 (20 overs)
v
Brisbane Heat
105 (19 overs)
Ellyse Perry 54 (54)
Jess Jonassen 4/28 (4 overs)
Nadine de Klerk 32 (23)
Ellyse Perry 3/17 (4 overs)
Sydney Sixers won by 24 runs
Blacktown International Sportspark
Umpires: Jeremiah Matibiri and Greg Davidson
Player of the match: Ellyse Perry (Sydney Sixers)

Match 23
7 November 2020
15:40
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
6/149 (20 overs)
v
Hobart Hurricanes
8/140 (20 overs)
Ashleigh Gardner 53 (35)
Hayley Matthews 3/15 (3 overs)
Nicola Carey 38 (40)
Ashleigh Gardner 2/20 (4 overs)
Sydney Sixers won by 9 runs
North Sydney Oval
Umpires: Muhammad Qureshi and Tony Wilds
Player of the match: Ashleigh Gardner (Sydney Sixers)

Match 28
8 November 2020
14:30
Scorecard
Perth Scorchers
4/183 (20 overs)
v
Sydney Sixers
5/147 (20 overs)
Sophie Devine 103 (68)
Dane van Niekerk 2/33 (4 overs)
Marizanne Kapp 68* (53)
Taneale Peschel 2/28 (4 overs)
Perth Scorchers won by 36 runs
Hurstville Oval
Umpires: Roberto Howard and Muhammad Qureshi
Player of the match: Sophie Devine (Perth Scorchers)
  • Perth Scorchers won the toss and elected to bat
  • Broadcast by Cricket Network

Match 31
11 November 2020
14:30
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
4/137 (20 overs)
v
Perth Scorchers
5/138 (19.1 overs)
Ellyse Perry 62* (52)
Nicole Bolton 1/19 (3 overs)
Beth Mooney 75* (64)
Stella Campbell 1/17 (2 overs)
Perth Scorchers won by 5 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)
Blacktown International Sportspark
Umpires: Steven Farrell and Eloise Sheridan
Player of the match: Beth Mooney (Perth Scorchers)

Match 35
14 November 2020
15:40
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
4/139 (20 overs)
v
Hobart Hurricanes
1/143 (18.1 overs)
Ellyse Perry 72* (68)
Amy Smith 2/22 (4 overs)
Hobart Hurricanes won by 9 wickets (with 11 balls remaining)
Sydney Showground Stadium
Umpires: Greg Davidson and Troy Penman
Player of the match: Rachel Priest (Hobart Hurricanes)

Match 37
15 November 2020
09:30
Scorecard
Adelaide Strikers
8/119 (20 overs)
v
Sydney Sixers
9/105 (20 overs)
Tegan McPharlin 41* (26)
Ellyse Perry 3/14 (4 overs)
Erin Burns 28 (24)
Megan Schutt 3/7 (4 overs)
Adelaide Strikers won by 14 runs
Drummoyne Oval
Umpires: Tony Wilds and David Taylor
Player of the match: Tegan McPharlin (Adelaide Strikers)

Match 43
17 November 2020
14:30
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
7/122 (20 overs)
v
Brisbane Heat
7/123 (17.5 overs)
Dane van Niekerk 31 (33)
Grace Harris 2/13 (3 overs)
Jess Jonassen 34 (28)
Marizanne Kapp 3/20 (4 overs)
Brisbane Heat won by 3 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)
Sydney Showground Stadium
Umpires: Steven Farrell and Tony Wilds
Player of the match: Grace Harris (Brisbane Heat)

Match 48
18 November 2020
19:05 (D/N)
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
7/147 (20 overs)
v
Sydney Thunder
8/143 (20 overs)
Dane van Niekerk 45 (39)
Sammy-Jo Johnson 3/25 (4 overs)
Phoebe Litchfield 46 (36)
Erin Burns 3/28 (4 overs)
Sydney Sixers won by 4 runs
Sydney Showground Stadium
Umpires: David Taylor and Claire Polosak
Player of the match: Erin Burns (Sydney Sixers)

Match 52
21 November 2020
19:05 (D/N)
Scorecard
Sydney Sixers
4/166 (20 overs)
v
Melbourne Renegades
4/169 (19.1 overs)
Alyssa Healy 63 (38)
Molly Strano 2/35 (4 overs)
Lizelle Lee 79 (45)
Sarah Aley 2/31 (4 overs)
Melbourne Renegades won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)
North Sydney Oval
Umpires: Troy Penman and David Taylor
Player of the match: Lizelle Lee (Melbourne Renegades)
  • Melbourne Renegades won the toss and elected to field
  • Broadcast by Seven Network and Fox Cricket
  • Brisbane Heat qualified for finals

In front of a sold out reduced-capacity home crowd,[11] the Sydney Sixers put on a 104-run opening partnership which came to an end during the 13th over when Alyssa Healy was stumped by Josie Dooley off the bowling of Molly Strano for 63. Two balls later, Ellyse Perry was dismissed for 37 by a spectacular diving catch from Courtney Webb, lauded as a contender for the best of the season.[12][13] Marizanne Kapp (22 not out from 17 balls) and Erin Burns (19 off 11) helped the Sixers finish their innings with a total of 4/166.

On the first ball of the run chase, Lizelle Lee was dropped at backward point off the bowling of Perry. At just 3/70 in the 11th over, Webb joined Lee in the middle for the Melbourne Renegades to form a rapid 73-run stand from 33 deliveries. Sixers veteran Sarah Aley eventually broke through in the 16th over, removing Lee for 79 via a Burns catch in the outfield. Requiring 24 runs from the remaining 26 balls, Webb (46 not out off 28) saw the Renegades across the line with six wickets in hand inside the last over, mirroring her finishing heroics of a similarly tight encounter between the two teams in WBBL|05.[14] The loss dramatically decreased the Sixers' chances of qualifying for finals heading into the final day of the regular season.[15]

The match was also shrouded in controversy, and the outcome potentially affected, due to an "administration error" self-reported by the Sixers before the commencement of the second innings. Hayley Silver-Holmes, who had missed several previous games due to injury, was named in the team line-up despite not having yet been granted approval by the W/BBL Technical Committee to be added back into the official squad. Upon discovering the mistake, the Sixers ensured Silver-Holmes took no active part in the game and Maddy Darke replaced her as a substitute fielder, leaving them a bowler short in what was essentially a must-win game. Cricket Australia (CA) fined the Sixers $25,000 ($15,000 suspended for twelve months) with CA's Head of Integrity and Security stating that the breach, "while serious in nature," had a "reduced impact due to the Club's actions" during the game.[16][17][18]


Match 55
22 November 2020
13:45
Scorecard
Melbourne Stars
4/178 (19 overs)
v
Sydney Sixers
5/184 (18.4 overs)
Meg Lanning 77 (59)
Marizanne Kapp 3/34 (4 overs)
Alyssa Healy 111 (52)
Tess Flintoff 3/32 (3 overs)
Sydney Sixers won by 5 wickets (DLS method) (with 2 balls remaining)
North Sydney Oval
Umpires: Eloise Sheridan and Tony Wilds
Player of the match: Alyssa Healy (Sydney Sixers)
  • Sydney Sixers won the toss and elected to field
  • Match reduced to 19 overs per side due to rain delay
  • Sydney Sixers were set a revised target of 184 from 19 overs due to rain delay
  • Sydney Sixers equalled the record for the highest successful run chase in WBBL history[19]
  • Sydney Sixers were eliminated from finals contention
  • Perth Scorchers qualified for finals
  • Broadcast by Seven Network and Fox Cricket
  • Former Australian player Sarah Aley made her last WBBL appearance[20]

Statistics and awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Host city, new start date locked in for WBBL|06". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  2. ^ "COVID forces marquee shake-up as WBBL contracting begins". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Two-time title winner makes cross-town move". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Reakes returns 'home' for WBBL with Sydney Sixers". Sydney Sixers. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b "All rounder crosses bridge, veteran returns for WBBL|06". Sydney Sixers. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Player Profiles | Sydney Sixers - BBL". www.sydneysixers.com.au. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 - Sydney Sixers Women Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Rebel WBBL|06 | cricket.com.au". www.cricket.com.au. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Gardner subbed out after concussion scare in Sydney". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Adjustment to WBBLI06 fixture". Sydney Thunder. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  11. ^ "WBBL action under lights in front of a sold out North Sydney Crowd, how good! #WBBL06". Twitter. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  12. ^ Shaw, Rob (23 November 2020). "Caught in a Webb of acclaim". The Advocate. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  13. ^ Lutton, Phil (21 November 2020). "Sixers' finals hopes hang by a thread after loss to Renegades". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Ellyse Perry injured as Sixers lose on last-ball six against Renegades". www.abc.net.au. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  15. ^ "WBBL round-up: Sixers implode against Lizelle Lee, Laura Kimmince puts Heat into semis". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  16. ^ Savage, Nic (22 November 2020). "Sydney Sixers cop $25k fine in WBBL after naming player who wasn't even in their squad". Fox Sports. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Sixers fined by CA for 'administration error'". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Sydney Sixers fined for incorrectly naming Hayley Silver-Holmes in XI". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Women's Big Bash League Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Sarah Aley announces her retirement". Sydney Sixers. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  25. ^ "Women's Big Bash League, 2020/21 Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  26. ^ "rebel WBBL|06 Award Winners Announced". www.cricketaustralia.com.au. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  27. ^ "Haynes and Abbott win top Cricket NSW gongs". Cricket NSW. Retrieved 23 April 2021.