Sydney Thunder 190 for 5 beat Sydney Sixers 148 for 9 (Athapaththu 3-20, Knight 3-27) by 42 runs

Litchfield closed Thunder's batting display with consecutive sixes to reach a 28-ball fifty a few weeks after equalling the fastest T20I half-century against West Indies at the same venue.

Athapaththu, who was Thunder's fourth overseas signing, took 34 balls to reach her milestone on the ground where she plundered her career-best T20I score of 113 in 2019. She was only playing this game because Marizanne Kapp had not recovered from an illness picked up before leaving South Africa.

Athapaththu and Tahlia Wilson had laid the play for Thunder with an opening stand of 98 in 11 overs, which followed the first game of the day between Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers which brought more than 400 runs.

Sixers struck back when Jess Kerr claimed both openers in the same of four balls, but Litchfield and Knight then added 62 for the third wicket with Litchfield dominant. She lost strike in the final over until the last two deliveries and she took full advantage of them with two powerful swings down the ground off Lauren Cheatle.