Franchise Cricket

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Ellyse Perry hit her third half-century in four games as Sydney Sixers edged past Hobart Hurricanes by six runs in the Women's Big Bash.

Perry smashed 11 fours and two sixes in her 86 off 62 balls, before she was dismissed off the final ball of the innings as Sixers posted 155-7.

The 34-year-old is the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 252, ahead of Australia team-mate Beth Mooney on 144.

Perry was ably supported by England's Hollie Armitage, who made 30 off 25 balls.

Hurricanes made a strong start to their chase but lost England's Danni Wyatt-Hodge (30) with the first ball after the powerplay.

Number one ranked T20 bowler Sophie Ecclestone (2-22) combined with 15-year-old Caoimhe Bray (2-13) to restrict Hurricanes through the middle overs.

They needed 20 off the final over and managed to take 13 off Ash Gardner but fell short to suffer a third defeat in their opening five games.

Sixers' win is their second in four matches and they join six other teams on four points.

They are back in action on Thursday night (00:00 GMT, Friday) against Melbourne Stars, while Hurricanes host Perth Scorchers on Saturday (23:10 GMT).

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David Warner has been named Sydney Thunder captain following the lifting of his leadership ban by Cricket Australia.

Warner, 37, was banned from cricket for 12 months and prevented from holding leadership positions as part of his punishment for the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 but that ban was overturned last month.

He will now lead the Thunder, who he also captained in 2011, in this year's Big Bash.

"Captaining the Thunder again this season means a lot to me," Warner said.

"I was part of the team from the start, and now to be back with that ‘C’ next to my name feels fantastic."

Trent Copeland, Thunder's general manager, said the appointment is "huge" for the club.

"Appointing David Warner as captain isn’t just about winning, it’s about setting up our young players for success, surrounding them with leadership on and off the field," he said.

The 2024 Big Bash begins on 15 December.

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Australia duo Alana King and Beth Mooney starred as Perth Scorchers beat Brisbane Heat by 28 runs in the Women's Big Bash.

Captain Mooney made 77 off 52 balls, including nine fours, before being dismissed from the final ball as Scorchers posted 142-8.

There were five single-figure scores in the Scorchers innings, after New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine made 25 at the top of the order. England wicketkeeper Amy Jones made 10 off 11 balls.

Scorchers made regular breakthroughs with the ball, including three in the powerplay as Georgia Redmayne was dismissed without scoring and India's Jemimah Rodrigues made 13.

King then finished the innings off, claiming 5-16 in her four overs, as Heat were bowled out for 114 in 18 overs.

The win is Scorchers' second in three matches, while Heat have now lost two of their opening four games.

Both are next in action on Thursday with Heat visiting Sydney Thunder (06:05 GMT) and Scorchers entertaining Melbourne Renegades (09:35 GMT).

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Commentaries on the Women's Big Bash League will continue this week across BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website and app.

Ball-by-ball updates will be provided by ABC Grandstand in Australia.

Here's the schedule for 4-10 November:

Tuesday, 5 November: Perth Scorchers v Brisbane Heat (09:00 GMT)

Wednesday, 6 November: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers (07:00 GMT)

Thursday, 7 November: Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat (05:50 GMT), Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades (09:20 GMT) & Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers (23:45 GMT)

Saturday, 9 November: Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars (03:45 GMT), Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers (07:30 GMT) & Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers (23:00 GMT)

All times are broadcast start times, and subject to change. All commentaries are available to UK users only.

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England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge hit 62 runs off just 35 balls as Hobart Hurricanes chased down 174 to end Brisbane Heat's undefeated start to the Women's Big Bash League.

The Hurricanes put down four catches in the field as Australia opener Grace Harris plundered 75 to guide Brisbane to 173-5 from their 20 overs - Jemimah Rodrigues also contributing with 45.

It looked a competitive score at the Melbourne Junction Oval but Wyatt-Hodge, 33, had other ideas.

Opening alongside wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee, who hit five fours and a six in her knock of 38 from 25, Wyatt-Hodge took control.

She hit six fours and three sixes to keep the Hurricanes ahead of the target, finally departing to spinner Grace Parsons.

Hobart needed 33 from the final three overs and got the win when Elyse Villani reverse swept to the boundary.

Wyatt-Hodge told Fox Cricket: "I just kept it simple, if the ball was in my areas then I went for it.

"We knew we could chase the target if we put our minds to it and got our heads down."

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Georgia Voll smashed 92 from just 55 balls as Sydney Thunder beat Adelaide Strikers by 64 runs in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

It was Voll's highest-ever score and Thunder's biggest win in terms of runs in the competition's 10-year history.

Her sparkling innings included 12 fours and three sixes in just her third WBBL match for Thunder since moving from Brisbane Heat.

Captain Phoebe Litchfield hit 49 from 31 deliveries and England skipper Heather Knight added 28 from 15 as Thunder posted 212-5, their highest-ever WBBL total and the joint-third highest by any team.

Spinner Sam Bates then took a career-best 4-21 and Shabnim Ismail 3-18 as two-time defending champions Strikers were skittled out 148.

The win moves Thunder top of the early WBBL table, with Strikers down in seventh after losing two of their opening three games.

In the day's other match, Melbourne Stars beat Sydney Sixers by 32 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected tie.

Meg Lanning and Rhys McKenna both hit half-centuries for the Stars.

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England captain Heather Knight returned from a calf injury in Sydney Thunder's 33-run victory over Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League.

Knight ruptured a tendon while batting in England’s T20 World Cup defeat by West Indies and retired hurt, but insisted the injury "would not keep her out for long".

The 33-year-old missed Thunder’s opening-game defeat by Hurricanes, but returned to be named Player of the Match in Thursday's win after making 48 from 28 balls.

Knight and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu shared 35 for the third wicket as Thunder posted 146-5 from their 17 overs after a delayed start. Right-arm fast bowler Heather Graham was the pick of the Hurricanes bowlers, taking 2-18.

Hurricanes' chase started with Knight’s England team-mate Danni Wyatt-Hodge being dismissed for just seven by Athapaththu, closely followed by Nicola Casey for five.

Elyse Villani and Heather Graham built a partnership of 43, but both were dismissed within the space of four balls. Hurricanes' lower order failed to add any substantial runs as they finished on 113-8.

Hannah Darlington was Thunder’s top wicket-taker with 3-24.

"The body never feels good at 33, but it was nice to be back out there. I’m really pleased with how it went and it is great to start tournaments with wins," said Knight.

Thunder play their next game on Friday against Adelaide Strikers at the Sydney Oval. Knight will next captain England during their tour of South Africa, which begins on 24 November.