Women's Big Bash League final: Brisbane Heat beat Sydney Sixers by three wickets

Brisbane Heat were playing in their first final, in the fourth edition of the WBBL

Brisbane Heat marked Australia Day with their maiden Women's Big Bash League success, beating defending champions Sydney Sixers by three wickets in the final at Sydney's Drummoyne Oval.

The Sixers were favourites to win a third successive title but could only post 131-7 after winning the toss.

The Heat were indebted to opener Beth Mooney's 65 from 46 balls.

They still needed five runs from the last over, but Laura Harris hit the second ball for four to win it.

It meant the Harris sisters finished on the winning side, with younger sister and Australia international Grace Harris having been run out in the second over after taking 3-23 with her off-spin.

With no other Heat player reaching double figures, the crucial partnership for the Queenslanders had come when Mooney, who was struggling with illness, and captain Kirby Short (29) added 84 for the third wicket - but the game was in the balance when both fell in the 15th over with 30 still needed.

But as wickets fell around her, including a run-out in the penultimate over, the uncapped Laura Harris remained cool enough to see her side home when faced with the miserly pace bowling of South Africa star Marizanne Kapp.

While both semi-finals had gone to the last ball and were decided by breathtaking boundary fielding, this time the Sixers were out of luck as Erin Burns and Sara McGlashan collided on the rope, desperately trying to cut off Harris' pull through deep mid-wicket for the winning four.

Earlier, Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry (33) - later named as player of the tournament - had top-scored for the Sixers, while South Africa's Dane van Niekerk (32 not out from 15 balls) hit some important late runs, including two sixes.

But in the end, the team in magenta were unable to complete a hat-trick of titles in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,368, to conclude the fourth edition of a tournament which has gone from strength to strength.

The men's event continues for another three weeks and you can hear commentary on selected games on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.

Mooney suffered with illness during her innings, in oppressive Sydney heat

'I was pretty cooked' - what they said

Player of the match Beth Mooney: "They were pretty oppressive conditions out there and I haven't been well the past couple of weeks, but I had a job to do.

"I was pretty cooked and the outfield wasn't conducive to hitting boundaries, which wasn't ideal - but even when the run-rate got to 7.9 I thought really good cricket shots were going to win this game."

Player of the tournament Ellyse Perry: "She played really good cricket shots.

"I've seen Beth bat for a number of years, she's incredibly good at finding pockets in the field, I think she's better than anyone else in the world at that and she did that really well."