Sydney: Sydney Sixers beat Hobart Hurricanes by 57 runs in the 15th Challenger of the Big Bash League (PBL).
The win takes the Sixers into the final of PPL 15, where they will face the Perth Scorchers at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.
Batting first, the Sixers amassed a mammoth total of 198/8 in 20 overs, their veteran Smith top-scoring with a 43-ball 65, which included nine fours and a six.
The right-handed batsman oversaw the Sixers’ innings till the first ball of the 13th over after being dismissed as the opener.
Middle-order pair Lachlan Shaw and Joel Davies supported his prowess with handy contributions, scoring 21 and 27 at brisk pace to take the sixers’ total past 200.
Riley Meredith took the leading wickets for the Hurricanes with three scalps, but the price was high as he conceded 52 runs from his four overs. Billy Stanlake and Rishad Hossain took two wickets each.
Chasing a target of 199, the Hurricanes’ batting line-up faltered and were bowled out for 141 in 17.2 overs.
Captain Ben McDermott hit 40 off 26 balls while Beau Webster was the next highest scorer with 24 off 27 balls.
Ben Twarshuis took three wickets for just 26 runs in his four overs to spark the Sydney Sixers’ bowling in the knockout, followed by Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott and Davies with two each and Jack Edwards with one.
Davies was adjudged man of the match for his 27 runs and two wickets.