In the first game of Saturday, January 19, at the Drummoyne Oval, it was Haidee Birkett who pulled off a stunning catch at the ropes to put Brisbane Heat in the final. In the next, Erin Burns put in a dive at the boundary before Alyssa Healy completed a run-out to keep Sydney Sixers on track to defend their WBBL title.

Chasing Heat’s 140, Sydney Thunder needed five to win off the last ball. Nicola Carey was batting on 19 off nine balls and swung; it seemed set to go for a six – or at least a boundary that would take the game to the Super Over. Even bowler Jess Jonassen seemed resigned. Birkett, however, ran to her right and plucked the ball out of the air to complete a fantastic catch.

Semifinal 1: Haidee Birkett grabs a stunner off the last ball to take @HeatWBBL to their first Women's Big Bash @WBBL final.pic.twitter.com/EufZBpMNjq

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 19, 2019

“It’s unreal!” said a thrilled Birkett after the game. “It was six off the bat. It was one of those ones where you have to do so much that you’re just there, all of a sudden it’s in your hand, and they either stick or they don’t. I was just lucky with that!

It took the game to the Super Over. Marizanne Kapp was accurate, giving nothing away to keep Renegades to 6/1. Perry had little trouble finishing things off with a six. It capped off a day on which she could do no wrong: she also had a half-century to rescue her side from 33/4, a wicket, a run-out and a catch. And she won the toss.

The teams will play the WBBL final on 26 January.