SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Barbados and West Indies all-rounder, Hayley Matthews, produced a strong all-round performance but it was not enough to prevent Hobart Hurricanes from their third defeat in four games in the Women’s Big Bash League here Saturday.
Playing at North Sydney Oval, Hurricanes failed to chase down a challenging 150 and slumped to a nine-run defeat to Sydney Sixers.
Choosing to bat first, Sixers tallied 149 for six off their 50 overs with Ashleigh Gardner hitting 53 from 35 deliveries and captain Ellyse Perry chipping in with 35 from 31 balls.
Handed the new ball in tandem with rookie seamer Belinda Vakarewa, off-spinner Matthews bowled outstandingly to finish with three for 15 from her four overs.
It was Matthews who removed Alyssa Healy for 21 after the veteran wicketkeeper/batsman had put on 41 off 34 balls for the first wicket with Perry.
And after Gardner, who struck four fours and three sixes, posted 39 for the second wicket with Perry and a further 43 for the third wicket with Erin Burns (7), Matthews returned to remove the married South African couple of Dane van Niekerk (13) and Marizanne Kapp (9) in successive deliveries at the start of the final over.
Needing a solid start to their run chase, Hurricanes lost Rachel Priest for five in the third over before Matthews arrived at number three to stroke 29 from 20 balls with three sixes.
Matthews added 23 for the second wicket with Naomi Stalenberg (22) before adding 34 for the third wicket with Nicola Carey who top-scored with 38.
She was eventually third out at the half-way mark with the score on 72, the first of two wickets to fall to 17-year-old seamer Hayley Silver-Holmes, as Hurricanes ended 140 for eight off their 20 overs.
