Perth Scorchers 189 for 6 (Mooney 91*, Jones 28, Perry 2-26) won Sydney Sixers 128 (Bury 40, Ainsworth 2-12, Edgar 2-23), a lead of 61 points.
Perry went 2-for-26 with the ball, grabbed two home runs and made a walk-off hit. She then got off to a strong start with the bat, smashing five fours and two sixes to get the Sixers’ chase off to a positive start.
But her decision to bowl a quick catch after playing a shot to mid-on was disastrous, as Pippa Cleary collected the ball on the run and dropped her stumps in the same movement only to find Perry meters away from her crease.
Perry’s dismissal of 40 off 29 balls led to a collapse of 6 for 37 as the Sixers crashed to defeat, bringing an end to their four-match winning streak.
The result moved the Scorchers (8-3) two points off the top of the ladder, while the Sixers (5-6) are in fifth place and face a battle to reach the Finals with just three games to go.
Perry sent Sophie Devine packing dangerously for 12 with a run out as the Scorchers stumbled to 24 for 2 early in their innings.
But it was Mooney’s show from that point on as the 29-year-old hit nine fours and four sixes to dismantle the Sixers’ attack. Mooney has now scored 509 runs this season to lead the race for the Golden Bat.
“I’m happy with the way I’m going, but it only matters if we get to those finals,” Mooney told Fox Cricket after the match. “Hopefully we can keep going and keep going well. The Scorchers were an all-rounder today. I thought the bowlers did a fantastic job.”
