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And then, there were two - the Sydney Sixers and the Adelaide Strikers. Ellyse Perry in one corner and her likely heir in Tahlia McGrath at the other. This is one cracking final in store at the North Sydney Oval on Saturday - do join us for our coverage of the same while keeping yourselves updated with all the other cricketing news and action from around the globe here on Sportskeeda. Thank you so much for tuning in today - this is the duo of Mohul Bhowmick and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave for the moment. See you around soon - buh-bye for now!
Quite a contest that eh? There were shots fired from either end ahead of this Challenger but the Strikers have prevailed to hold their nerve in the end. The Brisbane Heat had a fine campaign though. So many positives to take out of in the form of Georgia Redmayne and Laura Harris with the bat, as well as Nicola Hancock with the ball, even as Jess Jonassen continued to do Jess Jonassen things. Having said that, they will feel gutted at having fallen short of making the final when they had the resources to do so. Did they leave a few runs out there on the park today? Perhaps, but those dropped catches didn't do them any good either. A fine season, but they will feel disappointed. As for the Strikers, they live to see another day. And aren't we set up for a cracking finale in a couple of days' time now!
Match summary: Adelaide Strikers beat Brisbane Heat by 6 wickets to qualify for the final of WBBL 08.
Chaos, quality and entertainment aplenty. This was quite the contest and neither team budged. Eventually, the Strikers executed the basics better than the Heat and held their nerve under pressure, meaning that they now have a shot at going one step better than last year, where they lost the final. What a chase that was though!
It wasn't short of nerves alright! At 32/2 in 7 overs, they were going absolutely nowhere with Jess Kerr tying the top-order down and her colleagues reaping the rewards at the other end. Laura Wolvaardt started in positive manner but with a couple of chances going her way, she was living a charmed life.
It was the World Boss who took centerstage and launched a counter-attack of the highest order. When Deandra Dottin hits the ball, they simply stay hit. And she smashed the ball all around the park to power the Strikers along and put them back in the contest. Her untimely wicket added a twist to the tale as Georgia Redmayne somehow held on, but at the cost of tweaking her left achilles in the process as she had to walk off the field. The Heat did not help their cause thereafter though with quite a few shelled opportunities as Wolvaardt continued to make her good fortune count.
She didn't really run away with the game but her wicket brought about another twist. With 33 needed off the last three overs, the Power Surge was activated and Bridget Patterson took charge to drive home the initiative, even as Madeline Penna struggled to middle the ball at the other end. After the former found the fence at will, it was a thunderous six from the former that brought it down to 9 needed off the final over, where Penna took over to pierce the field with surgical precision to seal the deal for the Adelaide Strikers.
One has to commend Patterson's partnership with Wolvaardt, where the duo faced minimal dot deliveries and kept the scoreboard ticking to ensure that the pressure got to the Brisbane Heat. That sealed the deal for them in many ways, as did the counter-attack from Dottin that vaulted the Strikers out of the abyss!
Let's hear it from Bridget Patterson: It was a terrific performance by the girls today. I was a little nervous out there but knowing that Madeline (Penna) was at the other end gave me a lot of confidence. The crowd has been fantastic - thanks to everyone for coming over. Cannot quite believe it (that they have qualified for the final) but hopefully we will do well against the Sixers on Saturday and go one further.
From tears at having fallen short in the final last year to sealing the deal with back-to-back boundaries to take her team to the final again, redemption is sweet for Madeline Penna! We have witnessed a cracker at the Karen Rolton Oval and now we know - the Sydney Sixers and the Adelaide Strikers are the last two teams standing. They will play the final on Saturday!
20.0
19.4 Amelia Kerr to Madeline Penna, FOUR! AND THAT'S IT! Tossed up outside off, Penna charges down a tad and extends her hands to drive this one hard past cover for a boundary! The Strikers win this game by 6 wickets!
Splits the gap with surgical precison! Just one hit away now the Strikers. 3 to win off 3 deliveries and Penna finally gets one off the middle of the bat! 150 up for the Adelaide Strikers!
19.3 Amelia Kerr to Madeline Penna, FOUR! GETS IT THROUGH! Slightly short of a length outside off and a hint of width on offer, Penna rocks back and cuts it past the fielders at short third and point for a boundary!
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Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide
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