Sixers edge Thunder after thrilling Super Over

The match in a tweet: Sydney Smash Stunner! The Sixers prevail in a Super Over as import Tom Curran produces memorable #BBL09 performance

The Super Over: Sydney Sixers 2-16 (Henriques 14; Morris 1-16) defeated Sydney Thunder 0-15 (Hales 11 not out)

The Score (after 20 overs): Sydney Thunder 8-149 (Ferguson 52; Pope 3-23, Curran 2-23, Abbott 2-28) tied with Sydney Sixers 7-149 (Henriques 41, Hughes 37; Morris 2-36)

The Hero: Englishman Tom Curran delivered a performance for the ages to help Sydney Sixers inflict Sydney Thunder’s first KFC BBL defeat of the season at the SCG. Curran arrived at the crease with the Sixers needing 40 for victory from 21 balls with five wickets in hand and was ice cool amid the drama. He slapped three consecutive boundaries from Chris Morris and almost pulled off a miracle, run-out off the last ball of the innings for 35 from 17 balls, forcing the game into a Super Over. The cameo came after he snared 2-23 from four overs. Curran was also trusted to send down the Super Over and he didn’t disappoint, limiting the Thunder to five runs from his first four deliveries before Alex Hales finished the game with a four and a six. The 24-year-old has played 15 T20I matches for England and is quickly establishing himself as a star of the format.

The Support Cast: After earlier top-scoring with 41, Henriques partnered Curran for the Super Over after scores were tied after 20 overs at the SCG and crunched 14 from four balls, highlighted by a superb ramp shot for six over the third man boundary, while he also collected four runs from the third ball of the over from Sydney Thunder’s Chris Morris. The target of 17 runs proved too great a task for the visitors (just) and that was because of Henriques’ onslaught.

The Final Over: The Sixers appeared all but gone when they needed 16 runs off the 20th over of their innings, as the Thunder’s bowlers continued to respond. But Curran launched the first delivery from Chris Tremain over the mid-wicket fence for six before a pair of twos and a boundary left the home team needing two runs from the final delivery to claim victory. But they fell one run short, with Chris Morris completing a run out from deep square leg as Curran came back for a second to send the match into a Super Over.

The Young Leggie: Flame-haired leg-spinner Lloyd Pope has been touted as a top talent from a young age, and he delivered some of his best work in the Sydney Smash, collecting career-best BBL figures of 3-23 from four overs. He entered the SCG match with three wickets from nine T20 games for the Sixers and doubled his tally by claiming the scalps of Matthew Gilkes, Morris and Chris Green, showcasing superb control and causing plenty of headaches for the opposition.

The Consolation Act: Callum Ferguson continued his fine form with 52 from 42 balls as he was run-out attempting a single from the last ball of his team’s innings. Ferguson hit three fours and a six after arriving at the crease with the Thunder 1-48 before they slipped to 3-54 and struggled to recover. The knock followed contributions of 73 not out, four and 27 not out in the opening three games, to go with two Marsh One-Day Cup centuries for South Australia last month and a Sheffield Shield ton. Ferguson also regained the BBL’s Golden Cap as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, boosting his tally to 156 runs at 78. 

The Collapse: The Thunder boast plenty of firepower in the top three, with Usman Khawaja and Hales forming a dangerous opening partnership and No.3 Ferguson the competition’s leading run-scorer. The visitors got off to a flyer, racing to 0-48 from five overs, but the Sixers then claimed 3-6 in the next 18 deliveries to change the direction of the contest, with Khawaja, Hales and Gilkes exiting. While Ferguson and Ross put on 56 for the fourth wicket to stop the bleeding, the Thunder then lost 4-5 to slip to 7-115 before Ferguson and Arjun Nair (11 not out) took them to 8-149.

The Stat: Henriques is the only player to have taken part in all four tied BBL matches - his ledger sits at two from four.

The Catch: Sean Abbott, donning the BKT Golden Arm Cap as the competition’s leading wicket-taker, showed he has a golden pair of hands with this athletic grab to end what looked a promising knock from Alex Ross, who contributed 26 from 22 balls.

The Banter: You’ve got to feel for Daniel Hughes…

The Next Stops:  The Thunder will next tackle Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide Oval on New Year’s Eve, while the Sixers will meet Melbourne Renegades at Marvel Stadium on January 2.

Sydney Sixers XI: Hayden Kerr, Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques (c), Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Bird, Lloyd Pope 

Sydney Thunder XI: Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson (c), Matt Gilkes (wk), Alex Ross, Chris Morris, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Arjun Nair, Chris Tremain, Jonathan Cook