Sydney Sixers marquee man Steve Smith has registered the highest score of his professional Twenty20 career and claimed bragging rights over David Warner in a 125-run thrashing of the Sydney Thunder.
A crowd of 38,757 turned out to see the BBL’s two superstar recruits tussle in the competition for the first time since December 2013, in a match cut down to 19 overs apiece due to rain.
After the Sixers won the toss, Smith continued his blistering form with the bat.
With his unbeaten 125, Smith scored more than double the amount accrued by the entire Thunder team (62); the rest of his teammates, extras included, managed 62 of the Sixers’ total of 2-187 as well.
The Thunder struggled for answers in the face of Sixers spinner Steve O’Keefe, who posted BBL career-best figures of 4-10.
The furious innings may have come at a cost though, with Smith appearing hobbled in the field later in the evening and telling Fox Cricket he had been suffering from back spasms.
Smith’s performance outdid the 101 he scored against the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday and was the fifth-highest innings in the BBL’s history.
His two knocks this week are the only centuries ever recorded by a male Sixer.
Warner fell well short of the challenge set by his international teammate, managing just 16 runs from 23 balls as the Thunder collapsed under the weight of the Sixers’ score.
While Smith’s back-to-back centuries have vindicated Cricket Australia’s decision to fork out extra cash to bring him back to the BBL, Warner has struggled to get his T20 summer going.
Smith took full advantage of the SCG’s short boundaries to punish the Thunder’s bowling attack.
He smacked Australian international allrounder Daniel Sams for six on four occasions, including one that sailed into the second level of the SCG grandstand.
Joel Davies and Gurinder Sandhu were each hit for six twice as Smith finished with nine maximums among his 14 boundaries.
In 238 games of T20, Smith had posted a century once prior to this week but is now the second man in tournament history to score a ton in back-to-back innings.
He has a batting average of 131 this BBL summer.
Steve Smith of the Sixers celebrates scoring his century. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
The knock helped the Sixers recover from the early losses of Josh Philippe (10) and Kurtis Patterson (2), both of whom went in the same Sandhu (2-42) over.
They were to be the only wickets lost as Smith and Moises Henriques (45no) forged a 155-run partnership – the largest in the current edition of the tournament.
Even without Test spinner Nathan Lyon, who again missed out with knee soreness, the Sixers bowlers had the visitors covered.
By the drinks break, the Thunder had more batters back in the dugout (four) than boundaries on the scoreboard (three).
Warner tried to steady the ship as batters fell around him but was dispatched on the first delivery after drinks, thrashing an O’Keefe short ball high to deep midwicket where he was caught by Jordan Silk.
When O’Keefe bowled Sams later in the same over, the Thunder fell to 6-40 and were out of the game.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Yep. Great red ball bowler, but I wouldn’t pick him for the shorter forms of the games. And his record at the SCG isn’t that great anyway.
London Panther
Roar Rookie
Peach tree dish?
Clear as mud
Guest
nice one!
Clear as mud
Guest
Smith and Maxwell opening would have some kind of something to it. Imagine the smart training sessions!
Andrew
Roar Rookie
True
DTM
Roar Rookie
"BCCI is all about money and greed and politics. The evil trifecta." To be fair we could change BCCI in this statement to: FIFA AFL ICC IOC Federal Parliament and even most State and Local Governments.
DTM
Roar Rookie
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this. You can only face what the opposition dish up so no criticism of Steve Smith but let's not get carried away. The best Thunder bowler is Chris Green who wouldn't get a game for either the Sixers or the Scorchers. As for Nathan Lyon's "sore knee" .... is that code for not being good enough in this format to oust Todd Murphy from the team?
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Thanks :thumbup:
Andrew
Roar Rookie
Was going to say the same thing. Have seen some pretty club level indian cricketers in IPL as well. Because they aren't allowed to play in foreign comps hard to compare.
Andrew
Roar Rookie
BCCI forbids them to play in other comps - not even the indian backed SA league which is weird. They also prevent Pakistan players from playing in IPL. BCCI is all about money and greed and politics. The evil trifecta.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I think the quality of the IPL is overblown. Just the fact they play on tiny grounds makes a big difference. The BBL is not as bad as others made out and you could argue none of the other internationals are killing it like Smith is It is a nuanced thing
Rellum
Roar Guru
India does not let their players play in OS comps
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
It's a bit weird with the IPL . Some of our guys even the lesser known are breaking their necks to get an IPL contract yet we have not had 1 Indian player in the BBL . Wether its their own country's commitment or money who knows.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Yeah it's really not looking great for Warner. Like all good players, he's clearly still capable of good innings, i.e. that 200 against RSA, but it's the gap between those innings that becomes the problem at his age - they're too big and the trough is too low.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Smith's always had this ability, he played some great innings for the Sixers earlier in his career. But I'm not confident that he's suddenly 'the answer' at the top of the order. Mind you, he may be the best of a mediocre bunch, so perhaps he should get the role.
The Bush
Roar Guru
You do wonder if this is just a reflection of the poor quality of the BBL - it's obviously miles behind the IPL and at this point in the season, many of the high profile players have left to the UAE and South Africa. I know you can only play what's in front of you, and people forget that Smith had all the shots a decade ago, he just became more and more stoggy as his test career progressed (until this recent change of stance). But still, you have to really question if he can do this at a higher level.
mrl
Roar Rookie
Agar hasn’t done much either. He needs to get back in the peach tree dish.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
If he does well in this format against Morris,Tye, Richardson and Behrendorff etc., then...
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It won't stop Sams getting picked in Australian squads. Keeps going for runs, keeps failing with the bat, keeps getting talked up and picked
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Yeah he bats ok for someone selected to bowl leggies!