Steven Smith produced one of the most explosive innings of the Big Bash League season as the Sydney Sixers defeated the Sydney Thunder by five wickets
in a high-scoring Sydney derby on Friday, January 16.
The defining image of the match came midway through the Sixers’ chase when Smith launched a delivery onto the roof at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a towering 107-metre six that instantly became the talking point of the night.
Chasing 190 for victory, Smith opened the batting with Babar Azam and set the tone from the outset. He raced to his half-century in just 23 balls and continued to attack relentlessly, dismantling the Thunder bowling attack with clean striking down the ground and over the shorter boundary.
Smith and Babar had a stellar opening partnership of 141 before the latter departed after scoring 47 off 39 deliveries. Smith's most damaging passage came in the 12th over, when he smashed four consecutive sixes in a single over to Ryan Hadley, completely swinging momentum in the Sixers’ favour and scoring 36 runs in the over.
The former Australian captain reached his century in just 41 balls and was eventually dismissed for 100 off 42 deliveries, with nine sixes and five fours. By the time he departed, the chase was virtually complete, leaving the Sixers needing only a modest contribution from the middle order to close out the match.
Earlier in the evening, the Thunder had posted a competitive 189 for 6, built around a superb unbeaten century from David Warner. The Thunder skipper carried his bat for 110 not out, anchoring the innings after early wickets fell around him. While Warner found occasional support from Nic Maddinson late in the innings, the Thunder were unable to fully capitalise at the death.
For the Sixers, Sam Curran was the standout bowler, picking up three wickets for 28 runs and ensuring the Thunder did not cross the 200-run mark. Mitchell Starc also made an impact with an early breakthrough, marking his return to Big Bash League with a wicket.
Despite a brief wobble after Smith’s dismissal, the Sixers never lost control of the chase as late boundaries from Jack Edwards and Lachlan Shaw sealed the win with more than 16 deliveries to spare.
The victory strengthens the Sixers’ push towards the playoffs, while the Thunder’s campaign came to a frustrating end despite Warner’s individual brilliance.
Sydney Sixers are positioned at no. 4 on the points table and would be taking on Brisbane Heat on January 18, which would determine their qualification scenario for the knockout stages.
