Sydney Sixers stalwarts Sean Abbott, Moises Henriques and Jordan Silk have starred as their aspect moved to the highest of the BBL ladder with a seven-wicket win over Sydney Thunder.
Paceman Abbott spearheaded a robust Sixers bowling effort on Sunday as they restricted Thunder to 8-133 of their Sydney Smash derby on the Sydney Showground Stadium.
Sixers slumped to 3-25 after 4 overs, however middle-order linchpins Silk and Henriques took management with an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 109 off 75 balls.
Silk (59 off 42) and Henriques (53 off 38) displayed their expertise, working the ball into gaps for singles and hitting the occasional boundary when the Thunder bowlers erred.
It was Silk’s first BBL 50 of the season and Henriques’ greatest rating on this season’s marketing campaign.
The win, achieved with 3.four overs left, lifted the Sixers above the Scorchers to first, though Perth has two video games in hand.
Thunder, which misplaced for the primary time in 5 video games, dropped to fourth on web run-rate under Melbourne Renegades.
Abbott revealed there had been some on-field niggle between the 2 Sydney groups, with the Sixers not blissful they did not begin the final over of the Thunder innings in time and needed to have one much less fielder outdoors the circle.
“Possibly a few of their boys try to ensure our innings runs a bit late,” Abbott advised Fox Cricket.
Each innings began in related style in entrance of just about 21,000 spectators.
Thunder crashed to 3-12 with three lbw choices inside the primary three overs, as Alex Hales fell for a golden duck.
A fourth-wicket stand of 64 between Alex Ross (34 off 34) and Sam Whiteman (42 off 34) in his first BBL recreation of the season, revived the Thunder innings.
The Sixers regained the initiative by taking 3-17 however some lusty late innings hitting from Ben Slicing (26 not out from 15 balls) boosted Thunder’s whole.
Abbott (3-9 off 4 overs) bowled 17 dot balls and boosted his haul for the season to 16, joint-second highest together with the Scorchers’ AJ Tye and the Strikers’ Henry Thornton.
“There was a little bit of a inexperienced tinge on the wicket,” Abbott stated.
“When your captain provides you the laborious ball you have to go on the market and there isn’t any extra incentive to go on the market and carry out nicely and provides your all and set the tone, in order that was good tonight.”
Thunder wanted fast wickets and, just like the Sixers, struck thrice Within the energy play, with captain and spinner Chris Inexperienced (2-29 off 4) and pacemen Brendan Doggett (1-23 off 4) doing the harm.
Silk and Henriques managed the sport from that time.
“These blokes flip zeros into ones, and twos into threes and appear to search out each hole in these pockets which are fairly massive right here,” Abbott stated of Silk and Henriques.
English internationals Hales, Vince and Sixers paceman Chris Jordan have been all taking part in their ultimate recreation of this season’s BBL.
The Sixers will regain Take a look at stars Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon, whereas Thunder get again David Warner.
Each Sydney groups play their subsequent recreation at residence to the Scorchers, the Thunder on January 13 and the Sixers two days later.
