The purple stain from Steven Smith’s bat continued as the Sydney Sixers pulled off a 24-run win at Brandstone Arena that greatly dashed the Hobart Hurricanes’ BBL playoff hopes. Meanwhile, the Sixers are gearing up for the playoffs with his six-game winning streak.
After being sent in, the sixes were led by the arrogant Smith, who was marked with 66 sixes and hit 66 of 33 pitches. The Hurricanes trailed his 181, losing the usual wickets and Zach was never seriously threatened despite his gorgeous 49 from Crowley.
The seventh-placed Hurricanes are two points behind the fifth-placed Sydney Thunder and will play their final game against the Brisbane Heat at Launceston on Wednesday. Already ranked No. 2, the Sixers will face the Perth Scorchers in a blockbuster qualifier at Optus Stadium.
Stephen Smith stays in red hot shape
Since his long-awaited return, Smith has been in consecutive matches for centuries after lighting a fuse under the BBL. There were concerns that the back grind could disqualify him from this competition, but Smith seemed unaffected by the crease.
In an absolute rush, Smith got on track and became the first player in T20 history to hit three tons in a row. Although he fell short of the record books, he again delivered a spectacular power-hitting performance. Smith started his fourth delivery with a 6 against Joel Parris, hitting Patrick Dooley’s left arm against his square leg and spinning.
The Hurricanes bowler could do nothing against an enraged Smith who hit Tim his David part time his spin on the roof of his midwicket deep. Another Frontier brought Smith half a century with just 22 deliveries, and nearly every delivery was out of his spot on his racquet suite.
There was no answer to the Hurricanes, but Smith’s punch pushed the season even closer to the brink. But when Smith missed a knee-high full toss from sailor Nathan Ellis, he fell pretty meekly. Smith checked and was devastated to be released in such a tame way. However, he has once again proven that he has lived up to the critics in his quest to regain his permanent place in his T20I squad in Australia.
Amazingly, Smith only hit his 6 of 24 in the 4th inning he did. This is his second best in 13 innings, six ahead of him behind Tim David and Matthew Short.
Patrick Dooley’s keygate talent continues
The Hurricanes glared at a massive chase, but fought back after Smith was sent off in the 9th round.
It was Dooley, not for the first time this season, who broke a major wicket. After a brilliant dive catch that flanked his pinch-hitter Hayden Carr to Ben McDermott, he started with a snare. He then dismissed Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis and finished by pulling three wickets on his return from a groin injury.
A lawyer by profession, Dooley has become something of an amulet for attack, but an expensive 18.
Jackson His Byrd Justifies Joining As Sixers Quick Dominate
On a moving surface, speedy veteran Jackson Byrd gained early momentum and from three overs he finished 26 for 2.
An audition before the Sixers headed to Perth’s pace-friendly Optus to his stadium was a solid one for him, but Fahim was upset after he claimed he shared the first ball faced by Ashraf up front. Did.
Quicks Kerr and Sean Abbott also bowled under pressure and finished with two wickets each, thus failing to beat the Sixers. Abbott’s dismissal of Fahim made him the first bowler to take 150 BBL wickets.
Hobart Hurricane strike fails again
Given how much influence the Hurricanes have at their disposal, missing the playoffs seems unimaginable. But it’s proven to be almost fool’s gold in a disappointing season, and it’s proven again against the veteran Sixers’ offense.
McDermott, who has been such a powerhouse over the past few years, has spiraled out of control this season, causing four straight single-digit failures. But this time, he quickly reached his double digits in his 3rd limit in his first 8 deliveries, and suffered his 13th crash shortly thereafter.
The fate of the Hurricanes once again fell to the bright light of the season, the in-form Tim David, as skipper Matthew Wade fell to his 14th in his 8th over. David was dismissed for 12 overs after breaking three boundaries in his first four deliveries.
Crowley put an end to his form slump, but it wasn’t enough.