The Sydney Sixers have had the last laugh in their WBBL rivalry with the Sydney Thunder, whose loss in the local derby has them facing a difficult path to the tournament final.
Losing by nine wickets in the WBBL's final regular-season game means the Thunder finish fourth on the ladder rather than second.
Instead of enjoying three days off before hosting a grand final qualifier on Wednesday, they headed straight from the SCG to Sydney Airport on Sunday night to board a flight to Perth.
They will need to win two games in two days, against the Brisbane Heat and then Perth Scorchers, to book a date with reigning champions the Adelaide Strikers in the tournament final.
If they make it to the final, the Thunder will travel a further 4300km via air and spend six more hours on a plane than they would have had they beaten the Sixers on Sunday.
They will also have to play an extra game.
"It's obviously frustrating, there was that real carrot of staying in Sydney," Thunder captain Heather Knight said.
"But I just said to the girls then, if you said at the start of the year we were going to make finals after they only won three games (sic, five) in the last two years, we would have taken it."
The Sixers have been out of finals contention for a week but in front of a record regular-season crowd of 7118 they dominated the contest from the outset.
Allrounder Ash Gardner (4-26) bowled opener Tahlia Wilson in the third over and after that, only Phoebe Litchfield (34) and Knight (38 at a run a ball) offered resistance.
Later, Gardner helped rip through the tail at fantastic speed; the Thunder lost five wickets for 10 runs in the final two overs.
Chasing 124 runs for victory, Ellyse Perry (84 not out) saved her best knock of the WBBL summer for last.
She hit Marizanne Kapp for back-to-back fours in the 18th over that sealed the result with 15 balls to spare.
The in-form Strikers are pulling all the right moves in pursuit of back-to-back WBBL titles, thrashing the Hobart Hurricanes by 77 runs in the earlier game at the SCG.
Adelaide won the day with a patient first innings anchored by Laura Wolvaardt (73), and Tahlia McGrath's WBBL career-best bowling figures (3-8) that helped trigger a batting collapse of 6-25.
Chasing 165 runs for victory, the Hurricanes were all out for 87 runs, their sixth-worst total in a WBBL game.
The loss ended Hobart's hopes of clinching a finals berth, though they would have needed a minor miracle to oust the Sydney Thunder and finish fourth.
The Strikers had already locked up top spot on the ladder and hosting rights for the tournament final, which they will enter on a five-game winning streak and with six days between games.
"We move forward now with a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence. I'm so excited for Saturday night at home," McGrath said.
Captain McGrath was the most influential with the ball, snaring Nicola Carey (8) and Naomi Stalenberg (0) in back-to-back deliveries to consign Hobart to 4-49 after they were 1-41.
Bowling allrounder Hayley Silver-Holmes top-scored for the Hurricanes with only 14 runs.
WBBL FINALS FIXTURE
Tuesday, November 28: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder - The WACA Ground
Wednesday, November 29: Perth Scorchers v winner of first finals game - The WACA Ground
Saturday, December 2: Adelaide Strikers v winner of second finals game - Adelaide Oval
