Much like the New South Wales team this season, the Sydney Sixers have gone through a massive shake up of personnel, injecting a good deal of youth into their squad along with some senior changes. All in all it was difficult to see the Sixers upsetting the perennially successful Perth Scorchers team, even though they had lost their first encounter and were also a long way from home. The end result came down to some unfashionable long-term Sixers who stood up once again when they were needed in order to snatch an unlikely victory.
Having lost 3/30 in the first five overs the Sixers looked to be heading to a low total to rival other matches so far in BBL08. But Daniel Hughes and Jordan Silk came to the fore once again and produced a match winning partnership. Hughes has been prolific in most forms over the past three years but has often struggled to feature for the Sixers, while Silk has been a crowd favourite for years for his superb fielding and catching but also his big hitting when it's needed, and today he again proved his worth to the franchise. Their record 4th wicket partnership of 124 off 81 deliveries rescued the team and the game from oblivion. Hughes was dismissed in the final over for 62 off 44 balls, while Silk finished with a six to remain 67 not out off 49 deliveries. In the process they saw off arguably the best bowling attack in T20 cricket and manipulated the Sixers over the Defendable Score Equatorial (DSE – my own invention so feel free to use it) to a score of 4/164.
The Scorchers batting is their big problem this season, and with both Marsh brothers and Bancroft unavailable it left a lot on the shoulders of those that remain in the squad. They found themselves in the same boat as the Sixers when another unfashionable element rose to take control of the match. Steve O’Keefe has been maligned at different stages of his career but he continues to do his job every time he is asked. On this occasion he swept away the top order, having Whiteman stumped first ball charging down the wicket, Willey caught at long on by a great running catch from Joe Denly, and Klinger LBW to a slightly fortunate decision in his favour. It was barnstorming stuff from the left arm spinning veteran, and at 3/9 off three overs the Scorchers looked cooked.
A similar partnership to the Sixers from Ashton Turner (49) and Hilton Cartwright (53), both from 39 deliveries, mirrored the Sixers fightback, but they were left with too much to do in chasing down the total. Turner was caught at point off the longest of long hops, and when Cartwright was run out with 15 deliveries to go the match was lost.
The rousing victory will do amazing things for the Sixers, whose inclusion of 18 year olds Jack Edwards (13) and Lloyd Pope (0/32 off 3) and 21 year old Western Australian Josh Phillipe (3 not out) showed their willingness to inject the talented youth into their squad despite their relative inexperience. That they won without big contributions from these three in this match bodes well as they go forward as all three will likely be involved more heavily as the season wears on. For the Scorchers, losing two from two away from home probably isn’t as desperate a situation s the Heat now face, but they need to find some contributions from their top order soon if they are going to get their season back on track.
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