Picture Credit: Twitter
In a bizarre turn of events, Sydney Sixers were granted five runs after Brisbane Heat bowler Amelia Kerr caught the ball with a towel. The unusual incident took place during the 49th match of the Women’s Big Bash League between Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers. In the 10th over the Sixers' innings, Brisbane’s spinner caught the ball with a towel after which the umpire imposed a five-run penalty on them.
During the over, Sixers’ Ashleigh Gardner played the ball towards long-on for a single. The fielder collected the ball and threw it towards the non-striker’s end where Kerr collected it using a towel. The umpire took notice of it and immediately granted five runs to their rivals, the Sixers.
Watch the bizarre incident here:
Though Gardner could only score 36 runs off 30 deliveries, the incident proved to be a game changer for the Sixers as they emerged victorious over their counterparts. Brisbane got to bat first and got off a disastrous start after their top batting order collapsed dramatically. Kerr became top scorer for her side with 64 off 44 deliveries, while Mignon du Preez contributed 42 off 27 balls to the total.
In return, the Sixers got off a decent start but none of their batters managed to score big numbers. However, their collective effort helped them register an easy six-wicket win over their counterparts with one ball to spare.