Ash Gardner has struck the equal second fastest half-century in WBBL history before Caoimhe Bray took a catch for the ages as the Sydney Sixers pulled off a nine-run win over rivals Sydney Thunder.
Gardner (64no off 25 balls) and Ellyse Perry (59no off 41) combined for an unbeaten 107-run partnership to power the Sixers to 2-162 off 16 overs in Sunday's rain-reduced match.
Chasing 168 for victory under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, the Thunder fought bravely before being bowled out for 158 with three balls remaining.
Sixers teenager Caoimhe Bray starred with the ball, the rising pace ace snaring 4-28.
But it was the 17-year-old's remarkable catch late in the match that is set to be played for years to come.
Jemma Barsby's heave looked set to be a six before an airborne Bray jumped over the rope to take an Aussie Rules-style mark before tossing the ball back in for teammate Lauren Cheatle to complete the catch.
"If Cheats wasn't there, I probably could have made it look less mayo-ny," Bray told Fox Sports.
"She followed me and did the job well. We work on that a lot at training at the Sixers, and at the NSW Breakers.
"It's definitely something I've been practising at training, so glad to see it worked out in a game."
The result improved the Sixers' record to a perfect 4-0, while the Thunder are now 2-2.
Gardner was the key player with the bat, but the Thunder only had themselves to blame.
The Sixers were cruising at 1-65 after nine overs when heavy rain hit North Sydney Oval.
It proved a blessing for the Sixers, who made the bold decision to retire Melie Kerr (14 off 17 balls) so they could bring Gardner to the crease once play resumed.
Gardner should have been dismissed first ball, only for Laura Harris to drop a regulation catch at backward point.
The missed chance proved costly as Gardner cracked five fours and four sixes to bring up her half-century in just 18 balls, ironically matching the 2018 effort from Harris.
The fastest half-century in WBBL history remains the 16-ball feat from Tess Flintoff in the Melbourne Stars' win over Adelaide in 2022.
Harris looked determined to make up for her dropped catch, racing to 35 off eight balls to give the Thunder a legitimate chance of pulling off victory.
But when Bray claimed the prized scalp of Harris (35 off 10) in the 11th over before her catch to dismiss Barsby, it put the Sixers back in the box seat.
