Powered by James Vince’s incredible 95 and a combined effort from the bowling lineup, Sydney Sixers defeated the Perth Scorchers by 27 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground to win the 10th edition of the Big Bash League. With this win, they also equalled Scorchers’ record of winning three BBL trophies.
Taking place under a circumspect threat of rain, the final turned out to be an incredible affair for the most part of it, even as the Scorchers lagged behind after the 15th over in their chase.
Chasing a tough total of 189 on a wicket which was getting slower by every ball, the Scorchers got off to a good start with Cameron Bancroft going after the Sixers bowlers. Liam Livingstone, Bancroft’s partner though couldn’t get going initially as was expected from him after the last match heroics. As a result, Bancroft, 28, in an attempt to accelerate got out off a Jackson Bird delivery. Soon, another big man in the game, Colin Munro walked off without troubling the scorers much.
Just when Livingstone was getting back to his usual self, the mounting run-rate pressure got the better of him, as he got out trying to hit Bird out of the park. A partnership was needed to solidify the chase but that didn’t come as even after playing more than 10 balls, the likes of Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Turner got out one after the another.
Slower balls were the go-to delivery for the Sixers bowlers as they cracked the code that the pitch was supporting the slowness, after getting hit all over the park in the first five overs. By the time the target came down to 69 from the last time, most o the big hitters of the Scorchers side were back in the hut. Aaron Hardie tried his best to give the chase a chance as he hit 16 off a Carlos Brathwaite over. But that was the end of it as in the next three overs, Scorchers could only hit 19 runs.
For Sixers, Ben Dwarshuis took three wickets while Bird, Sean Abbot and Dan Christian took two wickets each.
Earlier in the day, Sixers lost the toss and were forced to bat first. They couldn’t get a great start as the player of the tournament Josh Philippe got run out for nine. It was then that James Vince decided to take control as he continued from he had left in the Qualifiers. Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, Vince didn’t slow down and it eventually caused his demise, being caught for 95 off Fawad Alam. After Vince, Christian and Jordan Silk hit a few lusty blows and with Brathwaite’s 10 runs from the last over, Sixers reached to 188 in their 20 overs. 188 after being 140-3 in 15 overs, was below expectations at that point of time, but in hindsight, the Sixers would take it happily and as would they take the losing the toss.
James Vince was awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant performance.
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