The Sydney Sixers have retained crosstown bragging rights after the Sydney Thunder’s big guns failed to fire in their Big Bash League derby.
The Sixers notched up a 16-run victory as a record crowd for a New South Wales domestic cricket match of 32,823 watched on at ANZ Stadium.
Set 181 to win, the Thunder’s topline stars failed to make an impact as Jacques Kallis (3), Michael Hussey (17), Andrew Macdonald (18) and Eoin Morgan (6) all departed cheaply.
Aidan Blizzard did everything he could to drag the Thunder to victory, hammering the ball to every corner of the ground en route to an entertaining 80 not out off 40 balls.
For a few overs it seemed Blizzard would smash the Thunder to victory, but some clever bowling from veteran Brett Lee halted their momentum.
The loss extends the Sixers’ winning streak over the Thunder to six matches and maintains their unbeaten record this season.
Fresh off his latest stint in the Australian Test side, Mitchell Starc bowled with venom early in the match, before copping some punishment from Blizzard and finishing with 1-36.
He also delivered the best ball of the night when he took Kallis’ middle stump with an in-swinging yorker.
Sean Abbott was the best of the Sixers bowlers, picking up 2-28 from four overs.
Earlier, a controlled 50 from 32 balls by Riki Wessels was the bedrock of the Sixers’ innings and late contributions by Jordan Silk (23) and Ryan Carters (21) proved to be enough to earn the Sixers their second consecutive win.
Wessels started slowly but eventually found his groove, hitting five fours and two sixes as his 51-run third-wicket partnership with skipper Moises Henriques gave the Sixers the momentum.
The run rate slowed later in the innings as Silk and Carters were content to rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking over, but Thunder quick Gurinder Sandhu picked up 2-23 off his four overs, while Pat Cummins (1-23) bowled tightly without much luck.
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