The Roar's BBL preview series: Sydney Sixers

The Sydney Sixers head into the fifth edition of the Twenty20 Big Bash League with a typically strong squad, yet with key players missing.

With no Brett Lee who has eased off into retirement from all forms of the game, and a few other small areas of weakness they do look on the vulnerable side heading into the season.

The Roar’s BBL previews:
Hobart Hurricanes
Adelaide Strikers
Brisbane Heat
Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Renegades
Perth Scorchers

After finishing in fourth place last season at the end of the regular season, they proceeded to beat minor premiers the Adelaide Strikers against all the odds away from home. From there they would lose to the Perth Scorchers in a classic grand final at Manuka Oval that went right down to the last ball, with Brett Lee the man bowling at the death for the men in magenta.

Heading into the new season, the Sixers will not only be without Brett Lee, but Mitchell Starc. It is expected that he will miss every ball of the tournament due to an injury he sustained while bowling in the first day-night Test match against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval. With him not being due back until the Twenty20 World Cup at earliest, it is going to be a massive blow for the Sixers to overcome.

While Starc only played two games last year, and wouldn’t play many this year either due to national selection he would have been able to give the Sixers a must needed boost somewhere during the season.

Lee was the Sixers’ top bowler last year by quite a considerable distance. During the regular season, he bowled 32 overs taking nine wickets at just seven runs per over. He was lethal with the new ball, and able to bowl extremely well at the death. This was only exemplified further in the finals when he bowled the Sixers to within a ball of the premiership taking a further four wickets at under six runs per over.

Joining Lee and Starc out of the Big Bash will be Josh Hazlewood for the most part. He will be on Australian national team duty, more than likely in all three formats of the game and could miss most of the Big Bash. When you take out three of Australia’s best bowlers it is always going to be hard for a side to recover and the pressure will be on for the likes of Doug Bollinger and Jackson Bird.

Staying on bowlers at the Sixers, and the addition of Johan Botha could be a huge one. While he certainly knows how to handle the bat, his bowling is what counts. As an all-rounder, he joins the huge amount the Sixers already hold and this adds to their batting, with the Sixers likely to have players who can genuinely score runs all the way down to number nine or ten in the batting order.

Moises Henriques, Sean Abbott and Stephen O’Keefe can all be considered as all-rounders in the side, adding depth with bat and ball. That looks to be the Sixers’ biggest strength for the season ahead, exactly as it was last season.

Their top order batting also looks a little bit fragile. In that top order is going to be the likes of Ryan Carters, Jordan Silk, Michael Lumb, Brad Haddin and Nic Maddinson. While all of these batsmen have shown the obvious talent to score runs and score them quickly, all have a tendency to play silly shots and get out cheaply.

For the Sixers to succeed, they must give their bowling attack a very decent score to bowl at every game, and you have to wonder if that will be done on a consistent basis with that top order batting line-up.

Another point to take into account for the Sixers when assessing their hopes for the season ahead is the draw. They have certainly been done no favours by having to make two of the hardest road trips in the competition all within a couple of days of each other. They start in Adelaide to face the Strikers on New Year’s Eve before taking on the Perth Scorchers at the WACA just three days later. These could be defining games for the Sixers season.

It’s going to be a very interesting season for the Sixers to see how they perform, but certainly it doesn’t look like they will reach the same heights as last season.

Squad

Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Doug Bollinger, Johan Botha, Ryan Carters, Ben Dwarshuis, Ed Cowan, Mickey Edwards, Brad Haddin, Josh Hazlewood, Stephen O’Keefe, Michael Lumb, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Li Ming, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

Draw (All times AEDT)

Thursday 17th December – Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers at Spotless Stadium (7:40pm)
Sunday 20th December – Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes at SCG (4:20pm)
Wednesday 23rd December – Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers at Etihad Stadium (7:10pm)
Sunday 27th December – Sydney Sixers vs Melbourne Stars at SCG (7:10pm)
Thursday 31st December – Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers at Adelaide Oval (7:10pm)
Saturday 2nd January – Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers at WACA (9:15pm)
Sunday 10th January – Sydney Sixers vs Brisbane Heat at SCG (7:25pm)
Saturday 16th January – Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder at SCG (6:10pm)

Prediction: Another team in the battle to make the finals but ultimately, will probably miss out. Fifth.

The Sixers have once again compiled a good squad for the fifth edition of the Twenty20 Big Bash, but at the same time their depth is going to be tested throughout the season. As mentioned above, they are unlikely to see the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc throughout the season and that is going to really test them.

Furthermore the loss of Brett Lee doesn’t really look to have been covered for. While they certainly won’t be buried right down the bottom of the ladder, it is hard to see them winning the fight to make the finals against the likes of the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Stars.

Be sure to check back to The Roar for all your Big Bash League needs, including live coverage of each and every match in our blog.