SYDNEY: Pakistan star batsman Babar Azam’s blistering half-century and Josh Phillippe’s brilliant 96 helped Sydney Sixers beat Sydney Thunder by 47 runs at the Sydney Showground.
Batting first, the Sixers posted the group’s biggest total of 198/5, courtesy of a formidable second-wicket partnership between Babar and Phillip.
The Sixers got their innings off to a good start as openers Babbar and Daniel Hughes added 33 runs for the opening stand. He returned after scoring 25 off 15 balls with 5 fours.
Following an early setback, Babar joined Phillip in the middle and the duo put on a thrilling 140-run partnership to demolish the Thunder’s bowling to bring the sixes under control.
The match-defining stand culminated in Babur’s dismissal in the 18th over. He scored a brisk 58 off 42 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to contribute significantly to the total of sixes.
Philip, on the other hand, batted until the fourth ball of the final over and fell agonizingly short of a well-deserved century when he was dismissed for 96 by Nathan McAndrew. The wicketkeeper batsman hit 10 fours including four sixes in his 57 balls.
Topley bowled well for the Thunder, claiming three wickets for 41 runs in his four overs, while McAndrew took two.
Chasing a tough target of 199, the Thunder’s batting unit managed to score 151 before being bowled out in 19.1 overs despite a quick half-century from Sam Billings.
The Thunder got off to a shaky start to the chase as they scored just 45 runs for the loss of four wickets in eight overs.
Following the collapse, Shatab Khan and Sam Billings looked to anchor the run chase and put together a crucial 50-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
The partnership culminated in the dismissal of Billings in the 12th over by Jake Edwards, who bowled the Sixers for five wickets and conceded just 26 runs in his four overs.
Billings, on the other hand, top-scored for the Thunder with 51 off 28 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes.
His dismissal sparked a down-order slump as the Thunder began losing wickets at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, Shadab continued his form at the other end until he was dismissed by Edwards in the 18th over.
The Pakistan international was a notable run scorer for the Thunder in a tough run chase, scoring 41 off 31 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Apart from Edwards, Joel Davies shone in the Thunder bowling with three wickets for just 24 runs in his four overs, while Kane Richardson and Todd Murphy chipped in with a scalp each.
The Sixers’ maiden win of 47 runs lifted them to third in the PBL 15 standings, while the Thunder remain bottom as they are yet to win a game.