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BBL 2024-25 Sixers vs Thunder Highlights: Sam Billings, Andrews Navigate Sydney Thunder Into Final

Aakash Saini

Sydney Thunder players celebrating a wicket [Source: @ThunderBBL/x]Sydney Thunder players celebrating a wicket [Source: @ThunderBBL/x]

Sydney Thunder defeated cross-city rivals Sydney Sixers at the iconic SCG in the Challenger to qualify for the BBL 2024-25 final. David Warner and co. will now face a rampaging Hobart Hurricanes unit on January 27.

Here’s the timeline of how Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder panned out in Sydney:

Sixers vs Thunder Highlights: McAndrew, Agar Break Sydney Sixers Top-Order

Batting first, Sydney Sixers lost openers Kurtis Patterson and Jack Edwards to Thunder’s new ball pacemen Wes Agar and Nathan McAndrew respectively within just the first four overs of the match. Josh Philippe at number three chipped in with 16 from 12 balls before falling to a runout around the halfway stage of the innings.

Captain Moises Henriques unfurled 29 runs at worse than a run-a-ball amidst tumbling wickets, but the hard-hitting middle-order batter had his hard-earned start squandered away courtesy of his attempted cover drive off Tom Andrews (2-15). The left-arm Sydney Thunder spinner also dismissed Lachlan Shaw for a two-ball duck a couple of deliveries later as the Sixers crashed to 76-5 in 12.3 overs.

Sixers vs Thunder Highlights: Jordan Silk Counterattacks Thunder To Lift Sixers Total

Batting at number five, Jordan Silk made an unbeaten 43 from just 30 balls with two boundaries and as many sixes to provide the much-needed impetus to Sydney Sixers in the slog overs. The cricketer shared 56 runs for the sixth wicket with fast-bowling all-rounder Ben Dwarshuis (30 off 20) until the latter was done-in by a slower one from George Garton (1-14).

Wes Agar (2-26) got his second wicket of the innings in the form of Hayden Kerr (10 off 7) as the Sixers reached 151-7 from 20 overs.

Sixers vs Thunder Highlights: Sangha, Gilkes Step Up After Warner’s Early Exit

Chasing 152, Sydney Thunder lost captain and legendary opening batter David Warner for just 11 in the third over to Mitchell Perry. Warner’s opening partner Jason Sangha, however, started off with a flurry of boundaries as the Thunder raced to 35-1 at the end of the four-over powerplay phase.

Sangha carted four boundaries in his swift 19-ball 30 and shared 36 runs with Matthew Gilkes (26 off 22) to blitz the Thunder past the 50-run mark. The well-set opening batter was eventually toppled by Sydney Sixers’ leg-spinner Jafer Chohan, shortly before Gilkes was run out as the Thunder slipped to 72-3 in 8.4 overs.

Sixers vs Thunder Highlights: Sam Billings Directs Sydney Thunder To BBL Final

Tottering at 72-3, number four Sam Billings reformed Sydney Thunder’s pursuit by sharing crucial partnerships with Hugh Weibgen, Chris Green (15 off 14) and then with Nathan McAndrew to seal off the chase.

McAndrew himself bludgeoned 19 unbeaten runs from just seven balls with two boundaries and a six, while Billings top-scored in the innings by packing 29-ball 42*. Despite late fightback from Hayden Kerr (2-35) and Jack Edwards (1-19), the Thunder won the Challenger by four wickets with seven balls to spare.