'Record isn't great': Henriques laments another finals slump

As imposing as it is that Sydney Sixers have qualified for 11 of the 14 KFC BBL's finals series, their recent record in knockout matches suggests they haven't quite nailed the business end of the season.

The Sixers fell to a straight sets exit for the second time in three seasons on Friday as the Thunder snapped a six-game losing streak against their Sydney rivals to progress to the BBL Final for the first time since their maiden men's title in BBL|05.

The Sixers have played in five season deciders since the Thunder last featured, but similar to their record in the Challenger, they've lost their past two BBL Finals.

The most obvious reason to explain their sudden slump in the playoffs phase is the turnover of their squad that's occurred every season since BBL|11 when they lost three players – Josh Philippe and brothers Jack and Mickey Edwards – to Covid isolation on the eve of their Challenger final against Adelaide Strikers and had to field assistant coach Jay Lenton in their starting XI.

When they last won the title in BBL|10, English stalwart James Vince and West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite were available throughout the finals, with Vince hitting consecutive scores of 98 not out and 95 to lead them to the title.

While in BBL|09 – the first of their consecutive triumphs – Australian stars Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon played in both of their finals victories.

But since the inception of rival franchise leagues such as the UAE's ILT20 competition, the Sixers haven't been able to keep Vince for the entire campaign and also lost overseas spinner Akeal Hosein this season to the same tournament and Chris Jordan in years prior.

Given the struggles of their opening pair in their two finals matches following Smith's departure for Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka and Vince's to the UAE following their January 9 loss to Melbourne Stars, it raises questions as to why they didn't push harder to sign Vince, or another overseas star, to a multi-year deal with full availability like the Thunder did with Sam Billings and their Final opponents, Hobart Hurricanes, did with Jordan.

Added to their pain this season was Test call-ups to Todd Murphy owing to the tour's subcontinent destination that requires an extra spinner, and Sean Abbott following injuries to key pacemen Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

While Sixers captain Moises Henriques was adamant they still had 11 players capable of winning their two finals matches in BBL|14, he admits they will have to look at changes to avoid another repeat in BBL|15.

"We do have to have a look at how we've performed in finals the last three years because I don't think our record is great now after this season," he said following the four-wicket Challenger loss to the Thunder.

"We gave ourselves two chances this year because of how well we played throughout the season; we had two chances last year as well and the year before and unfortunately in the last three years we haven't been able to take it.

"I am proud that we've got a group that consistently puts us in a position to win the tournament … but unfortunately this year we weren't good enough.

"We've saved our worst two performances for the last two games of the year, and it hurts."

But Henriques said it varied from season to season when quizzed on what other factors could be behind their finals slump, lamenting their performance in Powerplay and Power Surge following their loss to Hobart Hurricanes last Tuesday and a sloppy fielding effort last night against the Thunder.

"There's a lot to learn from the last couple of days and some of the best learnings are in these situations because a lot of that group is going to be around again next year," he said.

"Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a position next year to challenge again but at the moment we've just got to reflect on this year and see what we could do better next time."

While Henriques said replacing Smith given the Big Bash form he'd been in over the past three seasons was "very difficult", he took positives from being able to expose the likes of 22-year-old Lachlan Shaw, seamer Mitch Perry, young English leg-spinner Jafer Chohan and returning batter Kurtis Patterson in high pressure situations.

"Putting in another good league performance, being able to play like we did during the round games shows the depth of our squad," Henriques said.

The Sixers skipper is hopeful of retaining Shaw next season but as he was signed as a local replacement player in BBL|14, they'll have to wait until after the contracting embargo lifts in March to sign him to their primary list.

The club has retained the core of their squad for BBL|15 with Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Henriques, Murphy, Perry, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk and Smith filling their 10 permitted list spots prior to the embargo being enforced at the end of the home-and-away season.

It means Jackson Bird, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Kurtis Patterson and marquee supplementary listed players Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will become free agents during a 10-day Player Movement Window following Monday's BBL|14 Final.

Sydney Sixers list for BBL|15: Sean Abbott (contracted until BBL|15), Joel Davies (BBL|15), Ben Dwarshuis (BBL|15), Jack Edwards (BBL|16), Moises Henriques (BBL|15), Todd Murphy (BBL|15), Mitch Perry (BBL|15), Josh Philippe (BBL|15), Jordan Silk (BBL|15), Steve Smith (BBL|16)

 

Out of contract: Jackson Bird, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Kurtis Patterson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

KFC BBL|14 finals schedule

Qualifier: Hobart Hurricanes beat Sydney Sixers by 12 runs

Knockout: Sydney Thunder beat Melbourne Stars by 21 runs (DLS)

Challenger: Sydney Thunder beat Sydney Sixers by 4 wickets

Final: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder, Ninja Stadium (Monday, January 27, 7.15pm AEDT)