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Sixers seal derby win after Thunder’s batting slump
- Updated: December 20, 2016
Sydney Sixers 1 for 160 (Henriques 76*, Hughes 54*) beat Sydney Thunder 8 for 159 (Gibson 53) by nine wicketsScorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sydney Thunder made a sobering start to their defence of the Big Bash League title won last summer, well beaten by a focused Sydney Sixers on the opening night of the tournament at a sold-out Sydney Showgrounds. After the Thunder lost a ruinous 5 for 15 midway through their innings, the Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques combined with Daniel Hughes to drive the Sixers home.
Captain in command
Henriques led the Sixers with plenty of panache on the night, shuffling his bowlers expertly and not being spooked by the crushing way the Thunder ended their Powerplay, racing to 64 for 1. Instead he used spin to shift the game’s momentum on a somewhat tacky surface, ensuring the hosts finished some way short of their desired total.
He followed up with an innings of common sense and plenty of strength, taking a particular shine to the offerings of his state team-mate, Pat Cummins. As plenty of batsmen the world over can relate, muscling Cummins is no easy task. Henriques’ reward was the top score of the match, and a winning start to the Sixers’ campaign.
Bat in black
A technicolour crowd of 21,798 was in good voice throughout, but there were more than a few …
