Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy set new WBBL record
Together, they stitched an unbroken 199-run opening stand – the highest in the history of women's domestic T20 tournament – going past previous record partnership of 161.
Healy, who brought up her third WBBL century, contributed with a blazing 106* off just 53 balls which featured 13 fours and four sixes while her partner, Perry, hit an unbeaten 68-ball 87.
For your viewing pleasure: the best of Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry's record breaking 199-run partnership 🤩#WBBL05 #WatchMe pic.twitter.com/5n5muANDrC
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 3, 2019
Opting to bat, the Sixers duo got off to a steady start, scoring only 39 runs in the Power Play. By the halfway stage of the innings they had lifted their side to 83/0, before shifting gears in the remaining 10 overs. Healy brought up her half-century in the 12th over, reaching the mark from 29 balls with a single and shortly after, Perry too brought up her fifty – with a four towards backward square leg boundary.
The wicket-keeper batter was 11 short of her hundred with only six balls of the innings remaining. On the first two balls of the final over, she hit a four and took a single, giving the strike to Perry, who rotated the strike next ball to give her partner the perfect opportunity to get to the triple-digit mark. Healy scored her century in style, striking three back-to-back fours, and helped her side set a competitive target of 200.
CENTURY! That was insane batting from Alyssa Healy, who reached her hundred off just 52 balls 😱#WBBL05 @CommBank pic.twitter.com/O3hoUD3sgt
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 3, 2019
In reply, Stars openers Ellyse Villani and Lizelle Lee got off to a flying start, posting 43 inside five overs, before the latter went 25. In the next over, they lost Mignon du Preez for a second-ball duck while Erin Osborne too fell cheaply for nine.
Villani top-scored for her side with a relatively sedate 44-ball 59. Katey Martin (31) and Nicola Faltum (20) also made handy contributions but the Sixers' bowlers kept the opposition in check to set up a comprehensive 45-run victory.
20 overs, 199 runs.
— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 3, 2019
That was an insane, record-breaking, ridiculous partnership from @ahealy77 and @EllysePerry 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EOWbeOLa32
"It was good fun out there today," Healy said after the match. "Pez (Perry) batted beautifully and I'm grateful that she gave me the opportunity to get a ton.
"I'm enjoying my cricket at the moment. I'm fairly relaxed and in a really enjoyable space at the moment. Hopefully, that can continue."
Sixers are currently No.3 in the 2019 WBBL points table, having lost only one out of the five games they have played so far.