The Sydney Sixers turned makeshift groundstaff in a bid to revitalise their WBBL season before pulling off a most unlikely rain-affected four-run win over the Melbourne Stars.
The Adelaide Strikers went top of the table on Wednesday night with a six-wicket win against the Melbourne Renegades but the high drama centred on the Sixers' afternoon fixture.
Staring down the barrel of defeat during a lengthy break in play, the Sixers returned to the field to orchestrate one of the great comebacks.
Behind by one run when lightning struck near Ringwood in Melbourne's outer suburbs, the Sixers looked shot with the Stars 3-44 after 5.4 overs chasing the visitors' 6-134.
But when the rain abated, Sixers players emerged in their magenta uniforms to help groundstaff prepare the field and allow enough time for 1.2 more overs to be bowled.
Even then the Sixers looked behind the eight-ball, with the Stars emerging needing 12 off eight balls to take victory
Maia Bouchier then hit five off the next two balls from Ellyse Perry to all but get the Stars home.
Enter Chloe Tryon and her left-arm fingerspin.
After sending down a dot ball and wide, the South African had Bouchier and Nicole Faultam caught at mid off on back-to-back balls to put the Sixers on top.
She then bowled a dot ball to Kim Barth, conceded a single and had Annabel Sutherland caught on the boundary off the last ball to finish with 3-2 and claim the four-run win.
The victory is a massive boost to the Sixers' finals hopes, putting them in fifth on the ladder with a 3-5 record.
The Stars, in contrast, will likely need to win at least six of their last seven matches to have any hope of making the semi-finals.
The hosts were earlier in control of the game when left-arm finger spinner Sophie Day claimed career-best figures of 5-25.
The 25-year-old took the key wickets of the Sixers' three most accomplished batters in Perry (22), Ashleigh Gardner (15) and Suzie Bates (27).
She also removed opener Maitlan Brown (19), while stunting the Sixers' momentum late with the wicket of Mathilda Carmichael for nine.
In Wednesday night's game, the Strikers banked a sixth win from eight games to take top spot from Sydney Thunder (5-2).
The Renegades, who remain on the bottom of the ladder, won the toss and posted 5-148 at Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.
Jess Duffin top-scored, smacking three sixes in her 54 from 38 balls while Harmanpreet Kaur made 45, also from 38 balls.
The Strikers were on track from the outset and reached 4-149 to win with six balls to spare.
Bridget Patterson iced victory with 36 not out from 26 balls while Laura Wolvaardt (28 from 30 balls), Tahlia McGrath (26 from 24) and Katie Mack (24 from 15) made handy contributions.
