Watch: Brisbane Heat handed 5 penalty runs after Amelia Kerr catches ball with towel in WBBL match vs Sydney Sixers

Brisbane Heat were handed five penalty runs after Amelia Kerr caught the ball with a towel in her hands during the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) match against Sydney Sixers on Tuesday, November 21 at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

In the 10th over of the Sixers’ run-chase, Kerr bowled one on leg-stump and Ashleigh Gardner drove her down the ground for a single. The fielder at long-on threw the ball and Kerr caught it with the towel.

The on-field umpire immediately noticed it and slapped the Heat with five penalty runs. The match was in the balance with the Sixers needing 103 runs to win from 10.5 overs.

Kerr had an off day after she leaked 39 runs in three overs without picking up a wicket. The Sixers chased down a target of 177 with one ball to spare.

Kerr, however, had an excellent day in the office with the bat. With the Heat struggling at 19 for two in 3.4 overs, the youngster scored 64 runs off 44 balls with 10 fours. She got run out in the last over, helping the Heat post 176 for the loss of seven wickets.

Amelia Kerr’s elder sister, Jess Kerr, was brilliant with the ball as she finished with figures of 4-0-20-2, getting the wickets of Bess Heath and Jess Jonassen.

With the win, the Sixers moved to fifth in the table with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.362. The Heat, on the other hand, are placed fourth with 14 points and a net run rate of 0.134. Both teams have one match left in the league stage and are still in with a chance of advancing to the playoffs.