On Saturday, Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney Sixers played with a solid performance and it was a victory by far, beating Sydney Thunder in a very high scoring game by 47 runs. This victory was predetermined by a well-crafted 50 by the Pakistani star Babar Azam and an almost flawless performance by the Australian rising star, Joshua Philippe, who was just short of a century.
When they went out to bat, the Sixers announced a home-cooked 198/5 with a partnership of the game at second and fifth wicket between Babar and Philippe. The innings had started well where Babar and Daniel Hughes scored 33, however Hughes left in the fifth over after a rapid 25 off 15 balls, with the dismissal by Reece Topley.
This was followed by total subjugation. Thunder bowling attack was broken by Babar and Philippe through a combination of timing, power, and smart stroke play. Their 140-run stretch made the tide squarely in the favour of Sixers and left the other team at a loss.
Babar was equally a stabiliser and an aggressor and made 58 out of 42 deliveries with five boundaries and two sixes. His termination in the 18th over ultimately severed the partnership although it was already too late. Philippe had the innings far and appeared on the point of a century before all too late receiving a blow which, though it made him 96, left him with 10 boundaries in his 57-ball knock, including four sixes.
The Thunder bowlers of choice were Reece Topley who took 3 wickets in 41 and Nathan McAndrew with 2 wickets.
In retaliation, Thunder did not actually pose a threat to the target. A couple of early wickets got them off to a rocky start at 45 for 4, and, despite Sam Billings delivering a committed 51, off 28 balls, the run chase disintegrated. The Sixers starred with the ball under Jack Edwards who bowled five wickets with 26 runs as Thunder were bowled out with 151 runs in 19.1 overs.
