The Sydney Sixers have missed a spot in the women's Big Bash playoffs despite the best efforts of White Ferns Amelia Kerr, who led the way with bat and ball.
The visiting team have fallen to Brisbane Heat by five wickets in their last-ditch bid to reach the T20 postseason. They needed a big win to edge past fourth-placed Hobart Hurricanes on run-rate countback.
Sent into bat first, Kerr emerged as Sydney's topscorer with 41 runs from 37 balls, sharing a 63-run opening partnership with Aussie star Ellyse Perry (33 from 34).
The Kiwi allrounder was eventually caught on the boundary by Charli Knott off the bowling of Nicola Hancock.
The Sixers were 121/4 in the 18th over, but chasing fast runs, they lost six wickets for 19 runs to set a target of 141 for victory.
Brisbane were always in control of the required run rate, with wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne and Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues compiling 49 runs for the second wicket, but lost Rodrigues and Knott off consecutive balls from Kerr at the end of the seventh over.
Heat captain Jess Jonassen survived the hat-trick ball at the start of the 10th over and steered her team home with 18 balls to spare, scoring 39 off 29 balls, including a six. Kerr finished with 2/30 from her four overs.
Hobart, featuring White Ferns veteran Suzie Bates, now face Sydney Thunder in the elimination playoff, with the winners taking on Brisbane for a place in the final against Melbourne Renegades.
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