Sydney Sixers 198 for 5 (Philippe 96, Babar 58, Topley 3-41) beat Sydney Thunder 151 (Billings 51, Shadab 41, Edwards 5-26) by 47 runs
Sixers produced a vintage performance on a very good batting surface, which notably contrasted to sluggish pitches often seen at Engie Stadium.
Sixers have long dominated the crosstown rivalry, but entered the match under pressure after consecutive defeats to start the season. The spotlight was firmly on Babar, who made scores of just 2 and 9 in a tough initiation to his BBL career.
But Babar effectively anchored Sixers’ innings with 58 off 42 balls, and shared a 140-run second-wicket partnership with Philippe, who was dismissed in the final over for a 57-ball 96.
Needing to complete a record chase on the ground, Thunder crashed to 17 for 3 after the early wickets of Matthew Gilkes, Sam Konstas and a returning David Warner, who batted at No. 3, having previously opened in all 23 innings in his BBL career.
After Warner elected to bowl, all eyes were on Babar, who had not been able to get through the powerplay in Sixers’ first two games. He played watchfully and focused on rotating the strike, to allow Dan Hughes to get Sixers rolling.
While Hughes took the aerial route, Babar was orthodox and hit a gorgeous cover drive on his eighth delivery, in what to that point was clearly the best shot of his fledgling BBL career. Hughes dominated the scoring, making 21 of 29 runs in the powerplay, until his off stump was rattled by left-arm quick Reece Topley.
Babar flicked nicely through deep backward square to reach double figures for the first time in the BBL. But he was overshadowed by Philippe, who accelerated once spinners Shadab and Tanveer Sangha entered the attack.
Philippe showed why he has been Sixers’ standout batter, having entered the season with confidence after playing in the recent ODI and T20I series against India.
He launched Sangha down the ground in the eighth over to register the first six of the innings – a contrast to the record 36 sixes that were hit 24 hours earlier in the astonishing Heat-Scorchers game.
Philippe took a particular liking to Shadab, smashing him for two sixes. A third was all but certain, if not for a spectacular high-flying save at long-off from Konstas, who had initially caught the ball before throwing it back into the field of play.
Babar got into the act by top-edging Daniel Sams to register his first six in the BBL as he followed Philippe in notching up a half-century. Babar had his sights set on batting through the innings, until falling in the 18th over, after being caught behind off the glove in an overturned decision.
Sixers’ momentum fell away at the death. Philippe agonisingly missed out on a first BBL century after hitting straight to deep backward point, where Sams caught the ball centimetres from the grass.
Tristan Lavalette is a journalist based in Perth
