Sydney Sixers bring WBBL to Waverley Oval, Bondi Junction for the first time

IT’S the format putting women’s cricket on live, free-to-air television and it’s coming to Bondi Junction.

Kara Sutherland and Emily Leys from the Sydney Sixers will be part of the team that will play the Hobart Hurricanes in the Womens Big Bash League at Waverley Oval on the 15th of January.

IT’S the format putting women’s cricket on live, free-to-air television and it’s coming to Waverley Oval.

Sydney Sixers will play Hobart Hurricanes in round 12 of the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League at the Bondi Junction field on Friday.

It will be the first Waverley Oval fixture in the interstate T20 format which is taking the country by storm and giving the women’s game a massive shot in its publicity arm.

Crowds of up to 14,000 have turned out to games and TV audiences on Channel 10 or its affiliate One have reached 400,000.

Friday’s will be the first WBBL at Waverley Oval.

“The Melbourne derby on Saturday made it onto Channel 10 ... when you see some of the numbers we’re getting, it’s just fantastic,” said Sixers strike bowler Kara Sutherland.

“I enjoy playing any form of cricket but this format is about big hits and entertaining the fans.

“As a bowler, I quite like that, you’re only allowed four fielders outside (the circle) so you can really challenge them to hit the ball in a certain area.”

Friday’s game is huge for the Sixers, who won just one of their first seven outings before winning the last five on the trot.

Ellyse Perry, captain of the Sydney Sixers, appeals against the Perth Scorchers.

The Ellyse Perry-led Sixers are currently in sixth place, just one win out of the top four.

“We really didn’t start all that well to be honest but we’re actually in with a shot at the finals,” Sutherland said.

After relocating from the eastern suburbs to Brisbane in September, Sutherland returned to Sydney for the Big Bash.

“I came back because I really wanted to keep working with our coach Ben Sawyer and a lot of the Sixers girls who I’ve played with before,” the 24-year-old said.

Friday’s match starts at 2.30pm but will not be televised so will be free to attend but the Sydney derby between the Sixers and Sydney Thunder at the SCG on Saturday will be on Channel 10 from 1.45pm.