The Sydney Sixers (WBBL) are an Australian women's

Twenty20 cricket Twenty20 (abbreviated T20) is a shortened format of cricket. At the professional level, it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for the county cricket, inter-county competition. In a Twenty20 game, the two t ...

team based in Moore Park,

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. They are one of two teams from

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

to compete in the

Women's Big Bash League The Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) also known as Weber WBBL for sponsorship reasons, is the Australian professional Women's Twenty20 Cricket league. The WBBL replaced the Australian Women's Twenty20 Cup, which ran from the 2007–08 season ...

, the other being the

Sydney Thunder The Sydney Thunder is an Australian franchise professional cricket team, competing in Australia's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition, the Big Bash League. Along with the Sydney Sixers, the Thunder is the successor to the Speed Blitz Blues, ...

. Having won two championship titles and four

minor premiership A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues. Origins The etymolo ...

s, the Sixers are the most successful WBBL franchise to date.

History

Formation

One of eight founding WBBL teams, the Sydney Sixers are aligned with the men's team of the same name. At the official WBBL launch on 10 July 2015,

Ellyse Perry Ellyse Perry (born 3 November 1990) is an Australian cricketer and former soccer, soccer player. Having debuted for both the Australia women's national cricket team, national cricket and Australia women's national soccer team, national soccer t ...

was unveiled as the Sixers' first signing. Perry would also become the team's inaugural

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. On 12 November,

New South Wales Breakers The New South Wales Women cricket team, also known as the New South Wales Breakers, is the women's representative cricket team for the Australian State of New South Wales. They play most of their home games at North Sydney Oval and they also u ...

assistant

Ben Sawyer Ben Sawyer (born 1978/79) is an Australian cricket coach, who is the current head coach of the New Zealand women's national cricket team. He has previous been head coach of Birmingham Phoenix women's team in The Hundred, Royal Challengers Ba ...

was announced as the Sixers' inaugural head coach. The Sixers played their first match against the

at Howell Oval in Penrith on 6 December, losing by nine wickets. It took until their seventh match, a 20 December encounter with the

Perth Scorchers The Perth Scorchers are an Australian men's professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that competes in the Big Bash League. The Scorchers wear an orange uniform and are based in Perth in the Australian state of Western Australia. Their home gr ...

at the

Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in the Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australi ...

, to register a win.

Rivalries

Melbourne Renegades

The Sixers and

Melbourne Renegades Melbourne Renegades are an Australian professional men's Twenty20 franchise cricket club based in Melbourne, the capital city of the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. They compete in the Australian Twenty20 cricket competit ...

have combined to produce some of the most "thrilling" and "controversial" matches in the league's history, particularly revolving around close finishes, including: * 3 January 2018, GMHBA Stadium: In "bizarre" scenes, Sixers batter Sarah Aley attempted to score a game-tying run on the last

delivery Delivery may refer to: Biology and medicine *Childbirth *Drug delivery *Gene delivery Business and law *Delivery (commerce), of goods, e.g.: **Pizza delivery ** Milk delivery ** Food delivery ** Online grocer *Deed ("delivery" in contract law), a ...

despite Renegades

wicket-keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the Cricket player, player on the fielding (cricket), fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop Delivery (cricket), deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a Caught, catch, Stumped, stump the ...

Emma Inglis Emma Jane Inglis (born 15 July 1988) is an Australian cricketer. She plays as a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter for Victorian Spirit and Melbourne Stars. In November 2018, she was named in the Melbourne Renegades' squad for the 2018–1 ...

, having received the ball over the

stumps In cricket, the stumps are the three vertical posts that support the bails and form the wicket. '' Stumping'' or ''being stumped'' is a method of dismissing a batsman. The umpire ''calling stumps'' means the play is over for the day. Part of ...

from fielder

Kris Britt Kris Lynsey Britt (born 13 April 1984) is an Australian former cricketer. She debuted for the Australian women's cricket team in 2002 in the second test against England in Sydney, becoming the 144th woman to play Test cricket for Australia. S ...

and thus believing the match to be over, already celebrating victory. After deliberation, officiating umpires deemed the ball was not

dead Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sho ...

and the run would be allowed, thereby forcing a

super over Super Over, also known as a one-over eliminator or a one over per side eliminator, is a Tiebreaker, tie-breaking method used in Limited overs cricket, limited-overs cricket matches. If a match ends in a "Result (cricket)#Tie, tie", it proceeds t ...

which the Renegades nevertheless went on to win. * 19 January 2019,

Drummoyne Oval Drummoyne Oval is a multi-use sports ground in the Sydney inner-west suburb of Drummoyne, New South Wales. The ground has been used for international women's cricket matches, domestic men's cricket matches and first grade rugby league as well ...

: In the Renegades' first finals appearance, with three runs required off the last ball for an upset victory,

Sophie Molineux Sophie Grace Molineux (born 17 January 1998) is an Australian cricketer from Bairnsdale, Victoria. A left-arm orthodox bowling all-rounder, Molineux has been a member of the national women's team since 2018. At domestic level, she currently pla ...

was short of her ground attempting the winning run due to a "miracle" piece of team fielding by Sixers players Erin Burns, Sarah Aley and

Alyssa Healy Alyssa Jean Healy (born 24 March 1990) is an Australian cricketer who plays for and captains the Australian women's national team. She also plays for New South Wales in domestic cricket, as well as the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and captains ...

. In the resulting super over, Sixers captain Ellyse Perry hit a

six 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane. A hexagon a ...

off Molly Strano to eliminate the Renegades from the tournament. The match, in conjunction with the other semi-final played earlier in the day, was hailed as "the irrefutable rise of women's cricket" and "sport with drama, skill and unpredictability – a potent recipe for success". * 17 November 2019, Drummoyne Oval: The Renegades, requiring 28 runs off the last 12 balls with only three wickets in hand, pulled off a "great escape" victory against the Sixers through a last-ball six from Courtney Webb against the bowling of

Marizanne Kapp Marizanne Kapp ( , ; born 4 January 1990) is a South African international cricketer who plays for South Africa national women's cricket team. She was the first female cricketer to take a hat-trick in a T20 match for South Africa. Career In ...

. It marked the first time a WBBL team had won a match when needing more than four runs off the final legal delivery. The ramifications of the result were season-shaping as the Renegades went on to edge out the Sixers for fourth spot on the ladder, making it the first season the Sixers would fail to qualify for finals.

Sydney Thunder

At the WBBL, 02 season launch,

captain

Alex Blackwell Alexandra Joy Blackwell (born 31 August 1983) is a former professional cricketer and Australian women's cricket captain who played for New South Wales Breakers, New South Wales and Australia national women's cricket team, Australia as a special ...

said the Sixers "desperately want to beat us and we desperately want to beat them. It's set up to be a really good rivalry." In a joint media conference ahead of WBBL, 05, Sixers

said she considers the Thunder "our biggest rivals" while the Thunder's

Rachel Priest Rachel Holly Priest (born 13 June 1985 in New Plymouth, Taranaki) is a New Zealand cricketer who plays as a wicket-keeper and right-handed batter. She played for New Zealand between 2007 and 2020. Career Domestic and franchise In May 2018, ...

claimed "it was a really intense rivalry right when I started with the team". Noteworthy matches include: * 24 January 2016,

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as the 'G, is a sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere, the Lis ...

: Having lost their first six games of the season, the Sixers stormed into the WBBL, 01 final by winning nine consecutive matches. Their streak would come to an end in a low-scoring championship decider plagued by "probably the worst fielding seen all tournament" from both teams. Ultimately the Thunder scraped home by three wickets with three balls remaining to claim the inaugural Women's Big Bash title.

Erin Osborne Erin Alyce Osborne (born 27 June 1989) is an Australian former cricketer and current cricket coach and commentator, who appeared in 2 Women's Test cricket, Test matches, 60 Women's One Day International, One Day Internationals and 59 Women's T ...

earned Player of the Final honours for her bowling figures of 3/21 off four overs. * 14 January 2017,

: Defending a first innings total of 138, Sixers off-spinner Lauren Smith conceded seven runs in the last over to tie the game. With scores still level after the subsequent super over, the Thunder were awarded the win on the boundary count back rule. Despite the intense rivalry between the two teams, the match was noted for a sporting gesture by Thunder captain Alex Blackwell who, suspecting she interfered with the batter, withdrew an

appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which Legal case, cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of cla ...

that would have led to the dismissal of the Sixers'

Sara McGlashan Sara Jade McGlashan (born 28 March 1982) is a New Zealand former cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and wicket-keeper. She appeared in 2 Test matches, 134 One Day Internationals and 76 Twenty20 Internationals for New Zealand betwe ...

. * 15 November 2019, Drummoyne Oval: The Sixers cruised to a comfortable 40-run victory, having also defeated the Thunder by 49 runs in the season opener—Perry top-scoring with 81 on both occasions. This marked the first time either team would

sweep Sweep or swept may refer to: Cleaning * Sweep, the action of using a brush to clean * Chimney sweep, a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys * Street sweeper, a person's occupation, or a machine that cleans streets * Swept quartz, a cle ...

their fellow Sydneysiders in the regular season.

Hobart Hurricanes

The Sixers and the

Hobart Hurricanes Hobart Hurricanes are an Australian professional men's Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Hobart, Tasmania. They compete in Australia's domestic Big Bash League. The Hurricanes play the majority of their home matches at Ninja Stadium ...

have met in two semi-finals: * 22 January 2016, Melbourne Cricket Ground: In a match initially shortened to 14 overs per side due to rain, the higher-ranked Hurricanes struggled in the first innings, managing a score of just 8/86. Further rain delays meant the Sixers' target was revised to 55 runs from eight overs, under the

Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method The Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS method or DLS) previously known as the Duckworth–Lewis method (D/L) is a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score (number of runs needed to win) for the team batting second in ...

. Sydney cruised to victory with all ten wickets in hand and ten balls remaining. Veteran off-spinner

Lisa Sthalekar Lisa Carprini Sthalekar (born 13 August 1979) is an Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer and captain of the Australia women's national cricket team. In domestic cricket, she represented New South Wales. She was a right-handed al ...

was named Player of the Match for her bowling figures of 3/9 from three overs. * 25 January 2017,

The Gabba The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. The nickname Gabba derives from the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. Over the years, the Gab ...

: Acting captain Alyssa Healy belted 77 runs off 45 balls to help the Sixers to 6/169 in the first innings. In reply, the Hurricanes were skittled for a miserly 66 runs, setting a new WBBL record for lowest all out total. The 103-run margin also set a new WBBL record for the largest victory by a team batting first. The Sixers defeated the Hurricanes in their first eleven encounters, setting a WBBL record for the longest head-to-head winning streak. The Hurricanes finally defeated the Sixers on their twelfth attempt: * 20 November 2019,

North Sydney Oval North Sydney Oval (Also known as “Bear Park” by North Sydney Bears fans) is a multi-use sporting facility in Miller Street, North Sydney, Australia, owned and operated by North Sydney Council. First used as a cricket ground in 1867, it is ...

: With Ellyse Perry sidelined due to a shoulder injury, the Sixers faltered early to a score of 5/30. A resurgence, led by Marizanne Kapp's unbeaten 55 off 40 balls, helped Sydney to a total of 7/134. Hobart's chase got off to a shaky start as they found themselves down 4/22 after five overs. A healthy partnership between batters

Nicola Carey Nicola Jane Carey (born 10 September 1993) is an Australian cricketer who plays for the national cricket team as an all-rounder, batting left-handed and bowling right-arm medium pace. At the domestic level, she plays in the Women's National Cri ...

and

Corinne Hall Corinne Louise Hall (born 12 October 1987) is an Australian former cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and occasional right-arm off break bowler. She played for New South Wales, Tasmanian Tigers, Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder ...

came to an end in the 15th over when Hall was spectacularly caught by former Hurricanes player Erin Burns in the outfield. With 44 runs required from the final 33 deliveries, Carey went on to make 55 not out while a quickfire 29 by

Chloe Tryon Chloe-Lesleigh Tryon (born 25 January 1994) is a South African cricketer. She has appeared for South Africa in all formats of the game. Career On her debut for South Africa, a Twenty20 International against West Indies in the 2010 Women's Worl ...

sealed victory for the Hurricanes with five wickets in hand and ten balls remaining. In addition to snapping their elongated head-to-head losing streak, the win set a new mark for Hobart's highest successful run chase.

Belinda Vakarewa Belinda Waimakare Vakarewa (born 22 January 1998) is an Australian cricketer from Griffith, New South Wales. She plays as a fast bowler. Vakarewa has made one international appearance for the national women's team. Early life Vakarewa atten ...

, who sliced through the Sixers' top-order, was named Player of the Match for her bowling figures of 4/19.

Perth Scorchers

The Sixers have met, and defeated, the

in two championship deciders: * 28 January 2017,

WACA Ground The WACA Ground () is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. The stadium's name derives from the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA). The WACA has been referred to as Western Australia' ...

: With captain Ellyse Perry sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the Sixers posted a modest total of 5/124 in the first innings. An unbeaten knock of 35 from 30 balls by

Katherine Brunt Katherine Helen Sciver-Brunt (; born 2 July 1985) is an English former cricketer who played as a right-arm fast bowler and right-handed lower-order batter. She played for England between 2004 and 2023, appearing in 14 Test matches, 141 One ...

was not enough to secure victory for the Scorchers, as the Sixers "fielded like demons and bowled dry" in a "veritable classic" to win by a narrow seven-run margin and claim their maiden title. Sarah Aley earned Player of the Final honours for her bowling figures of 4/23 off four overs. * 4 February 2018,

Adelaide Oval The Adelaide Oval is a stadium in Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Parklands, parklands. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby league, ...

: Electing to bat first, the Scorchers were steamrolled for 99 all out. The Sixers experienced little difficulty in the run chase, mowing down the required target with nine wickets in hand and 30 balls remaining to claim a second consecutive WBBL title. Sarah Coyte earned Player of the Final honours for her bowling figures of 3/17 off four overs.

Brisbane Heat

The Sixers share a "growing rivalry" with the

Brisbane Heat The Brisbane Heat are an Australian professional franchise men's and women's cricket team, competing in Australia's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition, the Big Bash League (BBL). The Heat are the successors of the Queensland Bulls who playe ...

. However, ahead of WBBL, 05, Sydney wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy claimed "(Brisbane) have made a bit more of it than we have in the last 12 to 18 months, it's not something we're thinking of too much." Noteworthy matches include: * 26 January 2019, Drummoyne Oval: The Heat pulled off an upset victory in the WBBL, 04 final to deny a Sixers

three-peat In sports (especially in North America), a three-peat is winning three consecutive championships or tournaments. The term, a portmanteau of the words ''three'' and ''repeat'', originated with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Ass ...

, chasing down Sydney's total of 7/131 with just three wickets in hand and four balls remaining.

Beth Mooney Bethany Louise Mooney (born 14 January 1994) is an Australian professional cricketer who plays for the Australia women's national cricket team, national cricket team as a batting (cricket), batter in all three formats of the game. At the domes ...

was named Player of the Final for her innings of 65 runs off 46 deliveries. Mooney, who had been receiving on-field medical treatment for the

flu Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

and

heat stroke Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun-stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstro ...

, revealed in a post-match interview that her ongoing game delays instigated sledging from several opponents: "It was kind of nice to know while I wasn't feeling well, I was going well enough to piss them off and they were getting frustrated at how long I was taking to face up... I've played enough cricket against (the Sixers) to know what gets under their skin and we definitely won that battle." * 19 October 2019,

: In their first match of the 2019–20 season, the Heat posted a total of 6/165 before bowling out the Sixers for just 73. The crushing 92-run deficit was the second-largest defeat for a chasing team in WBBL history, and also the Sixers' lowest-ever score.

Captaincy records

There have been three

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the Sixers' history, including matches featuring an acting captain. Source:

Season summaries

Home grounds

Current squad

The squad of the Sydney Sixers for the 2025–26 Women's Big Bash League season as of 17 April 2025. *Players with international caps are listed in bold.

Players

Australian representatives

The following is a list of cricketers who have played for the Sixers after making their debut in the national women's team (the period they spent as both a Sixers squad member and an Australian-capped player is in brackets):

Overseas marquees

Associate rookies

Statistics and awards

Team stats

*Champions: 2 – WBBL02, WBBL03 *Runners-up: 3 – WBBL01, WBBL04, WBBL08 *

Minor premiers A minor premiership is the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the finals in several Australian sports leagues. Origins The etymology ...

: 4 – WBBL, 02, WBBL, 03, WBBL, 04, WBBL, 08 * Win–loss Record: * Highest score in an innings: 4/242 (20 overs) vs

Melbourne Stars Melbourne Stars are an Australian Twenty20 franchise cricket team, based in Melbourne, Victoria that competes in Australia's Twenty20 competition, the Big Bash League. The Stars wear a green uniform and play their home matches at the Melbou ...

, 9 December 2017 * Highest successful chase: 5/184 (18.4 overs) vs Melbourne Stars, 22 November 2020 * Lowest successful defence: 5/124 (20 overs) vs

, 28 January 2017 * Largest victory: ** Batting first: 103 runs vs

, 25 January 2017 ** Batting second: 37 balls remaining vs Hobart Hurricanes, 23 December 2017 * Longest winning streak: 9 matches (20 December 2015–22 January 2016) * Longest losing streak: 6 matches Source:

Individual stats

* Most runs:

– 4,689 * Highest score in an innings:

Ashleigh Gardner Ashleigh Katherine Gardner (born 15 April 1997) is an Australian cricketer who currently plays for the national women's team as an all-rounder. A right-handed batter and right-arm off spinner, Gardner also plays for New South Wales in the Wome ...

– 114 (52) vs Melbourne Stars, 9 December 2017 * Highest partnership: Ellyse Perry and

– 199 * vs Melbourne Stars, 3 November 2019 * Most wickets: Ashleigh Gardner – 102 * Best bowling figures in an innings: Ellyse Perry – 5/22 (3.5 overs) vs

, 5 November 2023 *

Hat-tricks A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...

taken: **

Dane van Niekerk Dané van Niekerk ( , ; born 14 May 1993) is a South African cricketer born in Pretoria and educated at Hoërskool Centurion. A right-handed Batting (cricket), batter and leg spin, leg break Bowler (cricket), bowler, she played for South Africa ...

vs Hobart Hurricanes, 17 December 2017 **

vs Melbourne Stars, 26 October 2019 * Most catches (fielder): Ellyse Perry – 60 * Most dismissals (wicket-keeper): Alyssa Healy – 99 (54 catches, 45 stumpings) Source:

Individual awards

* Player of the Match: ** Ellyse Perry – 25 ** Alyssa Healy – 19 ** Ashleigh Gardner – 12 ** Erin Burns – 5 ** Sarah Aley, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk – 4 ** Sarah Coyte,

– 2 **

Suzie Bates Suzannah Wilson Bates (born 16 September 1987) is a New Zealand cricketer and former captain of national women cricket team. Born in Dunedin, she plays domestic cricket for the Otago Sparks, as well as for the White Ferns. She currently holds t ...

, Mathilda Carmichael,

Amelia Kerr Amelia Charlotte Kerr (born 13 October 2000) is a New Zealand cricketer who currently plays for Wellington Blaze, Wellington and New Zealand women's national cricket team, New Zealand. She is the youngest female cricketer to score a List of One ...

, Chloe Tyron, Shafali Verma – 1 *WBBL Player of the Final: ** Sarah Aley – WBBL02 ** Sarah Coyte – WBBL03 * WBBL Player of the Tournament: ** Ellyse Perry (2) – WBBL04, WBBL10 ** Ashleigh Gardner – WBBL08 * WBBL Team of the Tournament: ** Ellyse Perry (7) – WBBL01, WBBL02, WBBL03, WBBL04, WBBL05, WBBL09, WBBL10 ** Marizanne Kapp (4) – WBBL, 01, WBBL, 02, WBBL, 04, WBBL, 05 ** Sarah Aley (2) – WBBL, 02, WBBL, 03 ** Ashleigh Gardner (2) – WBBL, 02, WBBL08 ** Alyssa Healy (2) – WBBL, 04, WBBL, 08 ** Sara McGlashan – WBBL, 01 ** Dane van Niekerk – WBBL, 03 ** Erin Burns – WBBL, 08 ** Lauren Cheatle – WBBL, 09 * WBBL Young Gun Award: Ashleigh Gardner – WBBL02

References

Notes

External links

* {{Sydney Sports Teams Women's Big Bash League teams Cricket in New South Wales Sports clubs and teams in Sydney Cricket clubs established in 2015 2015 establishments in Australia