Hole in Adelaide pitch complicates WBBL finals puzzle

Adelaide had made 4-167 at Karen Rolton Oval when rain delayed the Hobart innings.

Then the ball went under the roller and according to a post on the WBBL Instagram feed, officials had no choice but to call off the game.

"With teams warming up, a ball was inadvertently rolled onto the pitch while the roller was being used. The ball went beneath the roller creating a hole in the pitch," the post read.

"As a result, the pitch conditions were changed significantly. After consultation between the match referee and the umpires, it was considered unreasonable to expect the Hurricanes to bat in conditions that were materially different than those the Strikers had experienced."

It added the two captains were consulted and accepted the decision.

Remarkably, it is the third no-result out of nine Adelaide games this season.

While the Melbourne Renegades' win over the Sydney Sixers earlier on Friday means Hobart will finish top and host the final on Saturday week, the rest of the top four is undecided.

Only two points separate the second-placed Melbourne Stars from sixth side Adelaide, with the three remaining regular-season games this weekend all having a bearing on who makes the finals.

After crawling to 1-60 at the halfway mark on Friday night against Hobart, the Strikers blasted to 4-167 off 20 overs thanks to an unbeaten 63 from opener Maddie Penna.

Apart from Penna's knock, the highlight of the Strikers' innings was a stunning catch in the deep from Heather Graham off the bowling of Natalie Sciver-Brunt to dismiss Tahlia McGrath.

Earlier on Friday, Renegades duo Georgia Wareham and Courtney Webb produced a match-winning partnership to sink the Sixers and keep the defending WBBL champions in finals contention.

It ended the Sixers' late-season surge of three wins.

By winning their last regular-season game the Renegades also improved to fourth, while the Sixers are third.

But the Renegades must sweat on other results to find out whether they play in the finals.

Chasing 131 for victory, Wareham (49 not out) and Webb (33no) took the Renegades to 4-134 from 16.2 overs on Friday in Melbourne.

The pair put on a whirlwind unbroken 85-run stand, rescuing the Renegades from a wobbly 4-49 in the 10th over.

Wareham, who earlier took three wickets, finished with a furious flourish, cracking five fours and two sixes from her 29 deliveries.

Webb also found the boundary four times as the Renegades (five wins, five losses) climbed from sixth to fourth on the table.

The Sixers (five wins, three losses) remain third after failing to capitalise on an Ellyse Perry special with the bat.

Perry top-scored with 65 from 47 balls, but the Sixers struggled to 9-130.

The allrounder dominated Sydney's innings, hitting nine fours and a six, despite frequently losing partners as Wareham took 3-21 from four overs.

The Stars will be the first finals contenders to play on Saturday and cannot afford a slip-up when they host the Sydney Thunder, who are out of contention.

The late Saturday game will feature fifth-placed Perth at home against bottom side Brisbane, while the Sixers host Adelaide on Sunday in a massive end to the regular season.

Tuesday's knockout final will feature the third-placed team at home against fourth.

The winner of that game travels to the second-placed team on Thursday for the challenger final, which will decide who faces the Hurricanes for the title.