‘Superwoman’: Burns takes absolute screamer but Mooney powers the Scorchers to top spot with another dazzling knock

We’re only in November but we have may seen the best catch of the season after Erin Burns flew across North Sydney Oval to reel in a superhuman grab.

Erin Burns took the catch of the summer but the Sixers need a miracle to make the WBBL finals after another Beth Mooney masterclass powered the Scorchers to a 61-run win to stay top of the standings.

She’s had a relatively quiet summer with the bat, but Burns produced one of the most incredible moments of the WBBL when she flew across North Sydney Oval to dismiss Amy Jones who was looking good on 28 off just 13.

STOP IT, ERIN BURNS 🤯

That is insane. #WBBL09pic.twitter.com/kgrhBmAkYL

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 16, 2023

Burns had to make up plenty of ground and had to contend with teammate Maitlan Brown who was making her way towards the ball, with the savvy veteran blocking everything out to take a screamer in the deep.

The stunning catch wasn’t enough as the Sixers’ four-game winning streak came to an abrupt end with a big loss at home which leaves them three points outside the top four with their remaining three games against teams above them on the ladder.

500 CLUB

The Perth Scorchers are in the box seat to go straight through to the WBBL final on December 2, and they can thank their superstar opener Beth Mooney who brought up another milestone on Thursday afternoon.

The all-time leading run-scorer in the WBBL was at it again, hitting an unbeaten 91 off 57 deliveries to bring up 500 runs for the season as the visitors reached 6/189.

It’s the fourth time Mooney has done it and it comes on the back of the stylish left-hander’s century against the Thunder a few days ago, with the veteran ending the match with a neat catch in a rare game where she wasn’t behind the stumps.

Her brilliance at the top has the Scorchers leading the way on 16 competition points with three games remaining, although the Strikers and Heat have a game in hand and are just one win behind.

Beth Mooney continued her magnificent summer with another unbeaten half-century. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

PERFECT PERRY

Sixers skipper Ellyse Perry couldn’t have done much more for her team with the veteran producing an all-round performance for the ages in Thursday’s loss.

Perry was involved in five of her side’s wickets, getting the party started when she caught Scorchers superstar Sophie Devine short with a direct hit.

She took two catches, was bowling when Burns grabbed her screamer in the deep and finished with figures of 2-26 from her four overs after she bizarrely bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt whose attempted reverse sweep ricocheted off her body and back onto the stumps.

Perry then dominated with the bat and raced to 40 off 29 before she too was run out courtesy of a Piepa Cleary direct hit, with the international legend the only member of the top four to crack double digits.