Ellyse Perry has been ruled out of Saturday's women's Big Bash final with a left hamstring injury but the Sydney Sixers have shown they're just as capable without their inspirational captain after crushing Hobart at the Gabba on Wednesday.
The Sixers powered into the decider against Perth at the WACA, beating Hobart by 103 runs without Perry, as stand-in skipper Alyssa Healy blasted 77 and returning South African captain Dane van Niekerk claimed 3-15 and a run out.
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In an almost perfect showing by the WBBL's top team, the Sixers flexed their international star power, with New Zealander Sara McGlashan making 38 despite struggling with a knee injury at the crease, and South African Marizanne Kapp chipping in with 36 not out late on.
Their 6-169, helped by an ordinary fielding performance by the Hurricanes, was the second-highest score of the WBBL this season, and Hobart crumbled in the Brisbane heat to be all out for 66, with van Niekerk left to heap praise on her stand-in captain.
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"She's spot on, especially with the captaincy as well, she's shown that if there's even more responsibility on her shoulders she wants to score more runs," van Niekerk said just days after returning from a five-match ODI tour in Bangladesh.
"I couldn't stick there with her but she's been brilliant throughout this season and we're very lucky to have her on our side. IÂ didn't expect that I think that was very close to the perfect game for us."
Awaiting at the WACA in Saturday's final are an in-form Scorchers, who thumped Brisbane by nine wickets on Tuesday night before their men's side crushed the Melbourne Stars, keeping alive Perth's hopes of landing an historic Big Bash double.
Van Niekerk said Perry's absence would be felt but was confident the Sixers were still strong enough to claim a maiden WBBL crown.
"Pez is amazing for our team and we dearly miss her and we know what impact she can have in any game but we also know that we have individuals that can pick up their hand like Midge [Healy] did, all the bowlers and Kappy [Kapp] and Macca [McGlashan] with the bat. Our team has shown how good we are all round."
Dejected Hurricanes captain Heather Knight said her side's fielding had let them down.
"It really wasn't a great day for us we let them get away, we dropped a few catches which meant they were able to get up to the score that they were," Knight said.
"When we drop players in T20 cricket, it can punish you and they did that today. With the bat we just didn't turn up to be honest. Maybe we let the occasion get to us I don't know. In terms of big games, we have to find a way to play them a lot better."
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