Women’s Big Bash League: Charlotte Edwards’ Sydney Sixers suffer shock defeat in final against Adelaide Strikers | Cricket News

Charlotte Edwards’ Sydney Sixers suffered a surprise defeat on home soil in the final of the Women’s Big Bash League, as the Adelaide Strikers won their first title.

The two-time champions, who are coached by the former England captain, went into Saturday’s clash as hot favourites, but a superb bowling performance by the Strikers caused an upset.

West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin was the star with bat and ball as she struck 52 not out off 37 balls to carry her team to 148-7 and then took the key wickets of Suzie Bates (10) and Ashleigh Gardner (0) to trigger a top-order collapse.

​Australian fast bowler Darcie Brown (2-15) combined well with Dottin (2-30) to leave the Sixers struggling at 16-4 and needing a spectacular middle order recovery to win their third WBBL title.

Despite captain Ellyse Perry (33) and Nicole Bolton (32) countering, the Sixers were bowled out for 138, falling 10 runs short of their target.

In front of 6,478 fans at the North Sydney Oval, the Strikers completed an absorbing redemption fairy tale after their heartbreaking loss to the Perth Scorchers last year.

Dottin stars with the bat | Ecclestone takes two wickets

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Strikers got off to a good start, with Katie Mack (31) and Laura Wovaardt (15) sharing a first-wicket partnership of 51.

But both openers were out in the space of two overs, with Kate Peterson (1-29) having Wolvaardt caught by Lauren Cheatle at gully in the seventh over before England’s Sophie Ecclestone (2-19) took the wicket of Mack in the eighth.

The wickets brought Dottin to the crease, and she made the most of three chances, hitting an unbeaten half-century to help the Strikers to 147-5.

Dottin was handed a lifeline on one when Nicole Bolton put down a difficult chance at backward point, and she was then twice caught off no balls on five and eight.

Tahlia McGrath hit the second free hit for six, but her promising cameo ended on 24 off 21 balls when she was caught trying to clear mid-on, giving Bolton a wicket in her final game.

The Sixers fought back in the Power Surge, taking the wickets of Bridget Patterson (7) and Madeline Penna (0) for just seven runs.

But Dottin added 34 runs in the final three overs and brought up a half-century with the final ball of the innings.

Strikers take early wickets to seal win

The Strikers got off to a great start, with Darcie Brown causing the Sixers openers all sorts of problems in the third over.

Bridget Patterson and Maddie Penna both dropped Suzie Bates, but Brown had her wicket with the final delivery as Penna hung onto a catch to remove Alyssa Healy.

Dottin then removed Bates and player of the tournament Ashleigh Gardner (0) in a double-wicket maiden, and Jemma Barsby dismissed Erin Burns (1) to leave the Sixers in all sorts of trouble.

Perry and Bolton steadied the innings, taking the sixers to 43-4 at the midway point, but they were still 105 runs shy of their target.

Bolton found the boundary three times in a 60-run stand with her skipper before McGrath rattled her stumps in the 14th over.

With the Sixers now needing just over 12 an over, Perry tried to help her side over the line, hitting a boundary in the 15th over, but she was bowled by Darcie Brown a ball later.

Maitlan Brown cleared the rope in her return from a back injury and played an entertaining 34 off 16 balls, but it was not enough as the wickets kept tumbling at the other end, hers being the last to fall when she launched Amanda-Jade Wellington to Wolvaardt at long-on.