Healy thumps WBBL century in last-ball win

Alyssa Healy has notched her fifth WBBL century, crunching a boundary from the final ball to deliver the Sydney Sixers victory over Perth to keep them on top of the ladder.

Chasing the Scorchers’ 4-176 at Junction Oval, Healy was battling on one off 10 balls.

But the new Australian vice-captain found her groove to finish on an unbeaten 107 off 64, pairing with Ellyse Perry for a 154-run stand that powered the Sixers to within 20 of the target with two overs to bowl.

After going for 17 runs off her previous over, Scorchers captain Sophie Devine had Perry (48 off 40) dismissed and Healy dropped in a fine 19th over that left the Sixers still needing 14.

Healy watched from the other end as Ash Gardner hit the first two deliveries for six.

She was bowled from the next ball and Piepa Cleary was on a hat-trick after claiming Erin Burns next ball.

Nicole Bolton chipped that delivery just short of deep midwicket for a single and then, with one to win off the final delivery, Healy gave herself room and calmly dispatched the winning runs to the cover boundary, letting out a boisterous cry in the process.

No other player has scored more than three WBBL hundreds, Healy’s century coming off 62 balls and featuring a one-handed six over mid-off.

Victory keeps the Sixers on top of the ladder. The Scorchers, who beat them last week, could have jumped above them from fourth with victory.

Earlier, Perth’s Beth Mooney (75no off 51) and Marizanne Kapp (68 off 37) put on 97 off 58 balls to continue their own stellar form.

Their stand came a day after combining for a devastating 123-run partnership in just 56 deliveries, Mooney also scoring an unbeaten 99 against the same opponents last week.

But Gardner (2-30 from four) helped slow them just enough, moving to the top of the competition wicket-taker’s board in the process.