Henriques sees Sixers through tricky chase against new-look Renegades
Sutherland started his captaincy reign for Renegades with a loss but produced an outstanding all-round performance with 36 not out and 2 for 20
Sydney Sixers 172 for 5 (Henriques 53*, Vince 40, Sutherland 2-20) beat Melbourne Renegades 169 for 7 (Seifert 55, Sutherland 36*, Abbott 2-34, Dwarshuis 2-42) by five wickets.
Captain Moises Henriques stayed calm under pressure as the Sydney Sixers kicked off their BBL season with a five-wicket win over a revamped Melbourne Renegades at the SCG.
The Sixers chased a challenging target of 170. Things got tricky in the middle overs, but Henriques stepped up, smashing an unbeaten 53 runs from just 27 balls. He led the team to victory with nine balls left.
The game could have taken a different turn if Henriques had been run out on 25, but Tom Rogers’ throw from midwicket missed its mark.
Will Sutherland had a strong start as Renegades captain despite the loss. He impressed with 36 not out and figures of 2 for 20.
The Sixers, who lost a home final last season, continued to dominate the Renegades. They’ve won nine of their last ten matchups since 2018, with the only other game being a no-result.
Edwards’ promotion, Henriques finishes
It seemed like a tough chase on a pitch where scores of 150-160 have often been enough to win Big Bash League games. After opener Josh Philippe got out early, James Vince and Jack Edwards made batting look simple during the powerplay. The ball zipped nicely off the pitch, and the conditions seemed better for batting.
Edwards made good use of his chance at No.3 after Dan Hughes injured his arm trying to take a diving catch during the Renegades’ innings. Edwards placed his shots well and built a strong 62-run partnership with Vince.
However, Edwards fell short of his first BBL half-century when he was caught off Kane Richardson’s bowling. Things got worse for the Sixers when Hayden Kerr had to retire with a possible hamstring injury, leaving them at 136 for 5. With 34 runs still needed from the last four overs, Henriques used the power surge smartly. He smashed Adam Zampa for two big sixes in the 18th over, putting the Sixers in control.
Henriques and Ben Dwarshuis wasted no time, finishing the chase much more easily than it had seemed just a little while earlier.
Hassan impresses in BBL debut
Pakistan-born cricketer Hassan Khan, now playing for the USA, made a strong start for the Renegades in his debut. He came on to bowl after the powerplay when the team was under pressure. Facing tough batters like Vince and Edwards, Hassan had to stay calm and focus.
Even though he was hit for runs early, he adjusted well and showed his skills by mixing up his speeds. He bowled a clever 72 km/h delivery to dismiss Jordan Silk, a key player for the Sixers in the middle overs. This wicket gave the Renegades a big boost.
Hassan ended his spell with 1 for 27 from three overs. It was a solid performance to build on for the talented bowler, who also plays for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Sixers’ attack Rely on Experience to Fight back
The Sydney Sixers had a rough start in the powerplay but used their veteran experience to fight back against the Melbourne Renegades. They know the SCG conditions well, where the slightly spongy pitch makes batting tricky. Dwarshuis, Kerr, and Sean Abbott cleverly changed their pace to bring the Sixers back into the game.
The bowlers focused on hitting the wicket hard and took advantage of the ball getting softer after the powerplay. While the fast bowlers were more expensive than usual, left-arm spinner Joel Davies delivered a strong performance. He bowled around the wicket and ended with impressive figures of 1 for 24 from his 4 overs.
Seifert overshadows fellow Recruits
The Melbourne Renegades had a tough time last season, finishing in seventh place. After losing key players like Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, and Nic Maddinson, they decided to rebuild their team.
The Renegades revamped their batting lineup, adding more power hitters. They brought in Josh Brown, a title-winning opener from Brisbane Heat, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert, and Laurie Evans, who performed brilliantly for the Perth Scorchers last season.
Fans were excited to see the new opening pair of Josh Brown and Jake Fraser-McGurk, and they didn’t disappoint. On the very first ball, Brown hit a stunning boundary through point off Dwarshuis.
Fraser-McGurk, looking to bounce back from a rough series against Pakistan, smashed a huge six in the second over off Edwards. He quickly raced to 21 runs but fell on his 12th ball when Abbott tricked him with a slower delivery on his very first ball.
Brown, who hadn’t faced much of the strike early on, showed his signature aggressive batting style. However, like Fraser-McGurk, his knock was short-lived. He scored 22 runs off just 10 balls before getting out. After a strong powerplay that saw 44 runs scored, the Renegades struggled in the middle overs, losing Laurie Evans and Akeal Hosein cheaply.
Unlike some of the other new recruits, Tim Seifert played a calm and steady innings. He top-scored with 55 runs off 42 balls and built a 50-run partnership with Will Sutherland. Sutherland, who had been out with an injury since November, made a strong comeback.
