Sydney Thunder finished their season with eight losses while the Sixers kept their hopes of a second-place finish alive. Sydney Sixers 191 for 5 (Smith 100, Babar 47, McAndrew 2-34) beat Sydney Thunder 189 for 6 (Warner 110*, Maddinson 26, Curran 3-28) by five wickets.
Warner’s and Smith’s performance
Steven Smith put on an impressive batting display against the Sydney Thunder at the SCG. His thrilling 41-ball century surpassed his former Australia teammate David Warner, helping the Sydney Sixers with a remarkable run chase that kept their chances of securing second place alive.
Smith and Babar Azam added 141 runs in 12 overs for the first wicket. There was some disagreement over tactics early in the power surge. Smith declined Babar a single since he wanted to face the start of the surge. This choice paid off, as Smith scored 32 runs off Ryan Hadley, setting a new record for the most runs in an over in the BBL. The Sixers experienced a brief setback, losing 5 wickets for 28 runs, including Smith. However, Lachlan Shaw and Jack Edwards completed the chase with 16 balls remaining.
A win against Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Sunday would secure them second place and a spot in the Qualifier final. Yet, a loss in that game would lead to their elimination and allow the Heat to progress. Warner dominated the Thunder’s innings, recording his second century of the season with an unbeaten 110 off 64 balls. However, like against the Hobart Hurricanes, his hundred came in a losing effort.
Babar struck the first ball of the chase for four runs and scored quickly early on. Smith’s first boundary came when he pulled Wes Agar for six over square leg, then took Nathan McAndrew’s first three deliveries for 14 runs. McAndrew replaced Daniel Sams, who had been hit in the neck by a bouncer from Sam Curran and showed delayed concussion symptoms. One of Smith’s two sixes off McAndrew was a massive leg-side hit that struck the roof of the Brewongle Stand. If it hadn’t hit, it likely would have gone out onto Moore Park Road.
Smith wore anti-glare strips under his eyes, which he had used during the day-night Test against England at the Gabba last month. An impressive shot brought Smith to a 23-ball fifty as he sliced Agar for a flat six over point. Babar then hit back-to-back boundaries off Tanveer Sangha, and at the halfway point, the Sixers were 107 without loss.
Then came a moment of drama. Babar faced three dot balls from Chris Green and pushed the last delivery of the 11th over to long-on. Smith told him not to run, leaving Babar visibly unhappy. Smith then hit Hadley’s first three deliveries of the power surge over the ropes—two to the leg side and one straight down the ground—before he carved a no-ball to deep third. He hesitated to come back for a second on the last ball of the over but ultimately did. This left Babar on strike for the next over, where he edged a swipe across the line into his stumps.
Mitchell Starc’s appearance
Earlier that day, Mitchell Starc made his first appearance in the BBL in 11 years and 18 days, the longest gap between games. His first over cost 15 runs, including an upper-cut six by Warner, who got off to a quick start. By the end of the power play, he had 38 runs off 17 balls, contributing to Thunder’s total of 49. Starc returned for the sixth over and broke the opening stand when Matthew Gilkes drove to mid-off, where Moises Henriques took a good low catch. Warner reached his fifty in 25 balls, moving to the top of the run-scoring chart for the season. However, it remained largely a one-man show.
Sam Konstas struggled for 6 runs off 11 balls before getting a top edge, which Josh Philippe caught, causing Thunder to lose some momentum up to the mid-innings. Sam Billings hit a catch to long-off in the 12th over. Two overs later, the power surge turned the innings around significantly. The two overs cost 38 runs, with Edwards giving away 15 runs and Sean Abbott 23, including two no-balls. Nic Maddinson contributed by hitting Edwards for a four and a six, while Warner attacked Abbott with a six and three fours. Starc, who bowled three overs in the first ten, demonstrated his skill by allowing only three runs in his last three overs.
Maddinson received a second chance on 13 when Philippe missed a stumping. His partnership with Warner was worth 84 runs off 47 balls. The final over was action-packed, with Sam Curran taking three wickets, alongside a four and a six for Sams, who got struck by a bouncer, ending his game.