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Fawad Ahmed spun the Sydney Thunder to a 21-run victory over the Sixers, but only after Tom Curran and Sean Abbott fell just short of a Christmas Big Bash miracle at Spotless Stadium.
At home on the traditionally spin-friendly wicket, Ahmed claimed 3-33 in the rout as the Sixers managed just 9-148 in pursuit of the Thunder’s 9-169.
The legspinner bowled both Jordan Silk and Daniel Hughes in his first over, the latter with a zooter that completely deceived the left-hander and spun past his outside edge.
Just over 10,500 fans turned up for the first Christmas Eve night match, but the game appeared all but over when the Sixers fell to 5-39 and 6-56 in the chase.
However it was then that Curran (62 from 40) and Abbott (35 off 28) united for an 88-run stand, which saw the Sixers go from needing 114 from 11 overs to a gettable 33 from the final two overs.
Abbott’s knock included a booming six hit over the roof and out of the stadium off Ahmed, while Curran was backing up his 3-24 with the ball.
“We talk about taking these games deep because the quotations and equations and all the numbers come into play at the back of the season,” Abbott said.
“You don’t want to miss out because you tried to slog your way to a win. You’ve got to take it to the last over and then hopefully you can get over the line.
“We were starting to get a little confident there and I thought we were a genuine chance.”
It came after Jos Buttler had provided the earlier highlights for the Thunder with a free-flowing 63, before an embarrassing same-end mix-up between Joe Root and Callum Ferguson headlined a collapse of 8-67.
The pair both ended up at the strikers’ end when the England captain attempted a brazen run following a fumble from wicketkeeper Josh Phillipe.
Both began attempting to get back to the bowlers’ end and Root walked, before the third umpire adjudged that Ferguson was closer when the wickets were broken.
Root then failed to make use of his reprieve, clean bowled by a Stephen O’Keefe (2-27) arm ball on seven.
Meanwhile Buttler’s knock came off just 37 balls and included six boundaries and three maximums, including a massive pull shot off young legspinner Lloyd Pope which sailed well into the crowd over mid-wicket.
He was dominant square of the wicket, and brought up his 50 off just 29 balls with another big six back over fellow legspinner Joe Denly’s head before he eventually holed out at long on when he attempted to flat bat O’Keefe.
Former Sixer Daniel Sams also whacked 28 from 11 balls, before he was sent packing by a one-handed Phillipe screamer.
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