The inaugural edition of the Big Bash League commences with the Sydney Sixers playing Brisbane Heat at the Sydney Cricket Ground. We’ll bring you live scores and commentary of the action throughout the opening game, with the match starting at 7.00 pm ADST tonight.
Injuries to a clutch of Sixers superstars could take the sheen away from the game but the organisers are supremely confident of their package.
The hosts, Sixers, start on the wrong foot with fitness problems to Shane Watson (hamstring, calf), Patrick Cummins (foot), Ben Rohrer (side strain) and Stephen O’Keefe (hand).
Watson and Cummins run the risk of missing the entire Big Bash League season while the Sixers will hope that Rohrer and O’Keefe recover quickly.
Injuries aside, a plethora of former and current national cricketers will grace the occasion. The hosts will be led by Brad Haddin and he will be joined by Mitchell Starc, his teammate from that ill-fated Hobart Test match against New Zealand.
The news that made waves, however, was of the selection of Ed Cowan.
Cowan was slated to lead the CA Chairman’s XI in their warm-up game against India. Instead, he was called up for this game after his string of centuries in the Australian domestic circuit. Australian Test match fans weren’t the happiest at the turn of these events.
Michael Lumb, one of the two foreigners in the team, should open the innings with Cowan.
Brett Lee will lead the pace bowling attack while Starc will hope to regain some of his confidence after a poor showing at Hobart.
The list of injured contains only one name for the Heat. Kiwi all-rounder Daniel Vettori continues to sit out after missing the Hobart Test match with a hamstring trouble.
It will be the other Kiwi player in the Brisbane squad, Brendon McCullum, who could trouble the Sixers. This is a format he enjoys and he had once lit the IPL up with a bulldozing 73-ball 158.
McCullum could walk out to open the Heat innings with a former great, Matthew Hayden. At 40, he may struggle to recapture those days of glory but one can never discount out a champion.
The side has two similar all-rounders in Dan Christian and captain James Hopes. Christian’s T20 tryst with the IPL and Hopes’ international exposure will come in handy for the side.
We will bring you the coverage throughout the game at the Sydney Cricket Ground and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That's it from me. We shall be back tomorrow to welcome Shane Warne back into competitive cricket as the Melbourne Stars take on Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League game of the day. Thank you for following our live coverage and we do hope to see you tomorrow as well!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Haddin with the bat and MacGill with the ball were the two stars of the game. Haddin slammed five sixes while MacGill captured a couple of wickets without conceding too many. Christian brought Brisbane back into the game with some decent batting but a target of 140 was never going to enough. Fair to say then that the Heat missed the services of Daniel Vettori.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And that is the end of that. Moises Henriques slashes it to the extra-cover boundary and the Sixers have won it easily with seven wickets and eight balls to spare.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
It also depends on the opposition bowling quality and the pitch...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
OUT!!! Haddin gets out. A tame end to a classy innings even by T20 standards. He goes for 76 and Sixers need seven from the last 12.
Rhys
Guest
Oops, put the mock on him there.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Christian sends down his last over and concedes three off the first three. Off the four, Haddin sweet-talks the ball into the point fence - a glide through to the boundary. The end is nigh...
Rhys
Guest
I can't help thinking if Brad Haddin could employ the kind of sensible shot selection he has tonight when he's playing Tests then there'd be no pressure on his place in the team.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Steven Smith is the new batsman and gets a single, two and a four off the first three balls he faces. Sixers are almost through now, need 15 from the last three overs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And Heat get a wicket. McDermott recalled into the attack and gets Maddinson to inside-edge the ball on to the stumps. Only 23 needed from 22 and McDermott and Brisbane need 2-3 more of those and quickly.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yeah, anti-climax is the word. A dampener so far, after the thriller at the Hobart Test match...
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Lynn does a decent job but there is no pressure on the batsmen to take risks. He concedes six runs, all through singles and twos and the Sixers need 25 from the last four overs. It could be a matter of one big over now.
Rhys
Guest
Turning out to be a bit of an anticlimax. A bit like the inaugural IPL clash between the Knight Riders and Royal Challengers - maybe not that one sided.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And just when we thought that we were on to something, Haddin drives like he is on an F1 track - and it scoots past the extra-cover to the fence. Eight runs off that over and Sixers need only 31 from five overs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Nine wickets still standing and the Sixers need 36 from 33. Hopes brings himself on to trigger something.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And Lynn concedes only four as well. Two overs for eight runs. Can the Heat continue building up the pressure? 39 needed from 36.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Concedes only four but the wicket remains elusive. Sixers 1/97 in 13 overs, need 43 from 42 balls.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Christian called up now, and in many ways, it could be the last throw of the dice. Either he needs to bowl a couple of maiden overs or thereabouts or pick up two or three wickets quickly. Else the Heats are going down in this one.
Rhys
Guest
The Heat would love to have Harris, Cutting and Vettori out there right now.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Chris Lynn into the attack now. They have now added 52 for the second wicket.