The Toronto Sixers, both men’s and women’s teams, claimed victory in the Canada Super60 Cricket League championship, defeating their Vancouver rivals at B.C. Place in Vancouver.
On Sunday night, the men’s team secured the title by overcoming the Anchors by five wickets. Nicholas Pooran was the standout player, scoring 67 off just 23 balls as the Sixers amassed 168 runs. Vancouver’s Obus Pienaar contributed a remarkable 82 runs off 21 balls, but the Anchors ultimately fell short with a total of 164 runs.
The women’s team also triumphed on Saturday night, defending their championship title by defeating the previously unbeaten Vancouver Warriors by six wickets, finishing with three balls remaining.
While chasing a target of 85, the Sixers struggled initially, managing only 27 runs while losing three wickets by the halfway point. However, Ella McCaughan’s outstanding performance, scoring 36 not out off 20 balls, turned the game around. This victory was particularly sweet, as it avenged a prior seven-wicket defeat to Vancouver earlier in the tournament.
Watch the Vancouver Warriors take on the Toronto Sixers in the Canada Super60 Cricket League women’s final from Vancouver.
The Canada Super60 league features a T10 format of cricket. Each match lasts approximately 90 minutes, during which each team faces a maximum of 60 balls — consisting of 10 overs with six balls each. An innings concludes early if 10 batters are dismissed, and the first batting team sets a target that the second team must exceed to secure a win.
Now in its second season, the league includes a six-team men’s competition and a three-team women’s competition, with all games played at B.C. Place. The teams comprise a mix of Canadian talent and international stars, including West Indies legend Kieron Pollard and South African cricketer Marizanne Kapp.
The Toronto Sixers defeat the Vancouver Anchors by 5 wickets in the Canada Super60 Cricket League men’s final in Vancouver.
We asked cricket podcasters, Nazar & Bashaar Syed to explain the format of Canada Super60 cricket to us, in 60 seconds. Did you learn something new? Stream Canada Super60 live on CBC Gem Sep. 29 – Oct. 4.
During the women’s final, Vancouver won the coin flip and opted to bat first, quickly reaching 24 runs without losing any wickets after three overs.
However, the innings collapsed thereafter. Toronto managed to run out four batters, with wicketkeeper Bess Heath assisting in three dismissals, while Indu Barma took out Kapp after she had scored 16, marking the first time the Vancouver captain had been dismissed during the tournament.
Sophia Smale and Amarpal Kaur each took two wickets for Toronto, and Vancouver lost its last four wickets within the final four balls of their innings, ending at 84/9. Sophie Reid was the top scorer with 35 runs off 28 balls.
Monali Patel, Bashaar Syed and Nazar Syed join Andi Petrillo on CBC Sports Primetime to discuss the expansion of the Canada Super60 women’s event.
Toronto’s response got off to a rough start, with Heath and captain Mady Villiers both dismissed within the first three overs. By the midway point, the Sixers were left needing 58 runs from the final 30 balls, averaging over 11 runs per over.
McCaughan, who was named player of the match, shifted the momentum significantly in a single over. She struck Mannat Hundal for a six and three fours during a remarkable 21-run eighth over, leaving the Sixers needing just 16 runs off the last 12 balls. Barma, who had previously dismissed Kapp, added a six in the ninth over and finished with 18 not out.
Kapp, who had stepped off the field for treatment after colliding with the LED boards while pursuing one of McCaughan’s sixes, returned to bowl the final over, where Barma hit the winning runs on the third delivery.
Toronto was awarded the Sana Mir Trophy, named in honor of the former captain of Pakistan.
The women’s final was broadcast live during the inaugural episode of CBC Sports Primetime, CBC’s new weekly flagship sports program hosted by Andi Petrillo.
CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux caught up with cricket legend, Sana Mir. Mir discussed the Canada Super60 Cricket League and what it meant to make history by being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Watch Canada Super60 Cricket League action, as the Mississauga Masters take on the Toronto Sixers in Vancouver.
CBC Sports Primetime will highlight significant sports events, professional women’s sports, and exceptional coverage of Canada’s elite athletes as they compete domestically and internationally, including in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. Other events planned for October include the Grand Slam of Curling and the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix.