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Saturday, 2 January 2016

Scorchers Wacca Sydney Sixers

Two-time defending champion Perth Scorchers are shaping again as the Big Bash League team to beat following a thumping nine-wicket win over the Sydney Sixers at the Waca Ground.

The Scorchers’ trademark defensive bowling was outstanding after the Sixers elected to bat first. The visitors posted a total of just 112-8 and the Scorchers had no trouble chasing it down. Having lost just one wicket the last two games chasing smallish totals, the Scorchers again got the job done with undefeated Shaun Marsh (63 from 54) and Michael Klinger (28 from 22) setting up the run chase. The Scorchers reached 114-1 to win with nine wickets and 33 balls in hand.

Since losing the opening game to the Adelaide Strikers, the Scorchers have beaten the Brisbane Heat, Melbourne Renegades and now Sixers to move to the top of the BBL having played in all four previous finals winning the last two. After winning two of their first three games, the Sixers have lost three straight to be falling out of semi-final contention.

Sixers captain Nic Maddinson won the toss and decided to bat. Despite 47 from 45 by Michael Lumb, they lost wickets consistently to be behind eight ball. The Scorchers’ bowlers David Willey (3-22), Andrew Tye (2-21), Jason Behrendorff (2-24), Joel Paris (1-23) and Brad Hogg (0-20) were outstanding.

Defending 112 was always going to be difficult particularly with the form Marsh and Klinger have been in. The Scorchers openers put on a 65-run stand before Klinger fell for 28 in the 10th over. Marsh continued on from there with an unbeaten 49-run partnership with Marcus Harris (15 from 11) to secure the win.

The Scorchers next play the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday at Adelaide Oval. The Sixers have eight days until hosting the Brisbane Heat at the SCG. Willey was named man of the match for his three wickets for the Scorchers with the English all-rounder proud to be part of such a dominant team display.

“It was a great performance all-round,” Willey said. “Credit to the lads, we are bowling together as a unit and that makes it very difficult for the opposition when all four of us seamers and obviously Hoggy as well are putting it in the right areas to make it difficult to score. It was a good all-round performance from the bowlers and then the batters did their job to knock it off comfortably.”

Monday, 29 October 2012

Sydney Sixers T20 Champions

Michael Lumb's unbeaten 82 from 42 balls led Sydney Sixers to a 10-wicket victory in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament against the Highveld Lions in Johannesburg.

The current Australian Big Bash title-holders dominated with bat and ball as they chased down their opponents' 121 run target with over seven overs to spare.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Sydney skipper Brad Haddin saw his side take four wickets in the opening four overs.

Gulam Bodi, Quinton de Kock, Neil McKenzie and captain Alviro Petersen could only score eight runs between them with Nathan McCullum, Steve O'Keefe and Josh Hazlewood with two, all striking early.

A half-century from Jean Symes gave the South African side some hope and he was given decent support from Thami Tsolekile (20) and Dwaine Pretorius (21).

But when Symes (51) became Hazlewood's third victim with the score at 112 for eight, any hopes of the Lions making a competitive total were lost.

Player of the tournament Mitchell Starc took the ninth wicket of Aaron Phangiso (three) before Chris Morris was run out on the final ball of the innings, as the Lions, playing on their home ground of the Wanderers, limped to 121.

Lumb and Haddin soon set about taking Sydney to their target. Haddin (37) scored at more than a run a ball but it was Lumb, who also won the Golden Bat award for the highest run scorer of the tournament, who took centre stage.

The England international cracked 13 boundaries, including five sixes, as the Lions' bowling attack had no response to either batsman with Phangiso (two for 29) and Morris (two for 25) proving particularly costly.

The final over was a microcosm of the match as Lumb smashed two maximums and a four off the unwitting Pretorius to secure the title in style.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Starc Sixers Prevent Titans Final

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Sydney Sixers prevented an all-South African Champions League t20 final after defeating Nashua Titans by two wickets in a thrilling semi-final at Centurion.

Playing for the right to meet Highveld Lions in Sunday's final, Sydney held their nerve to chase down 164 off the final ball of the match.

Needing one run for victory with one delivery from CJD de Villiers remaining, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc scrambled a bye with Titans wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn off-target with his attempted shy at the stumps.

The Titans, batting first, had earlier fought back from a desperate position to post 163-5 from their 20 overs.

Henry Davids and David Wiese made contrasting half-centuries to rescue the South Africans from 82-5, the former playing anchorman to end unbeaten on 59 and all-rounder Wiese providing late fireworks to finish on 61 not out off just 28 deliveries.

The Sixers made a storming start in reply as Stephen O'Keefe (32), elevated to the top of the order in Shane Watson's absence, and Michael Lumb (33) shared a 54-run partnership inside five overs.

But the Australian side were then guilty of letting the Titans back into the game with two kamikaze run-outs resulting in the demise of Nic Maddison and Steve Smith.

Moises Henriques (28) and Ben Rohrer (21) steadied the ship but the outcome of the match remained in the balance right until Cummins and Starc scampered a run off the final delivery.