Kerr's match-sealing six no surprise to teammates

Hayden Kerr's six to ice the game in a tense final over win against the Adelaide Strikers may have come as a surprise to everyone else but it wasn't to his Sydney Sixers teammates.

The young allrounder is having a breakout summer after debuting for NSW in the Marsh Sheffield Shield last month, and a number of injuries in the Sixers' bowling line-up has meant he is also getting regular game time the KFC BBL too.

The 25-year-old has played all five of the Sixers' games in BBL|11 where he has taken six wickets with a miserly economy rate of 6.7, which included 2-6 against the Melbourne Stars in the season opener.

But it was his 8 not out off two balls that included a six off what turned out to be the last ball of the game at the SCG on Tuesday that really proved his value to the back-to-back champions.

Needing six runs off the final over to overcome a determined Strikers outfit, Kerr struck a two off the first ball from veteran Peter Siddle before launching the next over midwicket and into the crowd to get his team over the line with four balls to spare.

"It might be a bit of a surprise to you guys but it's not really a surprise to us from what we see at training, what we see in the nets and what we've seen him do in practice games," Christian said after the Sixers' last game.

"Kerr's been fantastic for us this year – he's been great with the ball and that's his first chance with the bat and he's come out and hit a six to win the game for us.

"We've just got great depth, we've got guys coming in all the way down the order that either have the experience or they've got the talent and they just haven't had that opportunity yet.

"There's just a real confidence among the group and a confidence in the guy that we're standing next to out on the field."

Allrounder Sean Abbott, who became the all-time BBL leading wicket-taker with his 3-24 in the match against the Strikers, also heaped praise on young Kerr after he sealed the win in the last over and said the Sixers were "pretty fortunate" to have someone like him coming in at eight.

"He opened the batting for us a couple of years ago and scores a lot of runs in grade cricket opening the batting so although he's batting down at eight, he's probably not a number eight batter, so we're pretty blessed in our line-up to have him walking out at eight and icing the game there at the end," Abbott said on Fox Cricket.

Kerr spent the off-season honing his skills in three different states and territories as he cased cricket through the winter in the Strike League in Darwin, club cricket with the Gold Coast Dolphins and Adelaide with the NSW Blues squad.

And it paid off too, with Kerr earning his Sheffield Shield debut against Victoria on November 20 where he starred with 62 not out rescue the NSW first innings in a match that petered out to a draw.

But rather than bask in the success of his first Shield game, Kerr told cricket.com.au he was back in the nets the very next day with Melbourne Stars batter Nick Larkin and a few other Sydney University teammates working to improve his game.

"I've just kept sticking to my regular routine, like I even went and hit balls with a couple of the guys I like to hit balls with the next day after that Shield game," the left-armer said.

"I was straight back into it and back on the horse trying to improve every day, so I think if I keep using that growth mindset to make sure I'm better than I was the day previously then I'm always going to be headed in the right direction."

Kerr is also using his experience playing alongside T20 veteran Dan Christian and England international Tom Curran soak in as much as he can to improve his game.

"I think (Tom Curran) and Dan Christian are a pretty similar type of player, and I got to play those five games with 'TC' (Curran) two years ago, so I got see how he went about it," he said.

"Then last year, it was more watching 'DC' (Christian) do his work and how he goes about it as well.

"I'll just be picking their brains as much as I can, and just taking it in via osmosis, I suppose. Just watching them and try to replicate how they go about it."

The Sixers', who are second on the BBL|11 table behind the Perth Scorchers, return to the field on Boxing Day for the much-hyped Sydney Smash against the Thunder at Sydney Showground Stadium.