Josh Philippe 99* trumps Glenn Maxwell 103 as Sydney Sixers hunt down 178
Philippe's third fifty-plus score in four matches confirms Sixers' credentials as the BBL's barometer
Philippe's third fifty-plus score in four matches confirms Sixers' credentials as the BBL's barometer
Scorer: Binoy George | Commentator: @PeterDellaPenna
10.27 pm Impressive chase by the Sixers as Philippe's 99* trumps Maxwell's century in a seven-wicket win for the visitors.
Sixers captain Moises Henriques: "I actually thought with the start we had with the ball, maybe they got away with 15 or 20 too many. But the wicket started to play better as the game went on. Glenn Maxwell put on a pretty good show and then Josh Philippe basically replicated that. In the end we got away to a slightly better start than they did but once the ball got older, it was nice to score but with the new ball it was a bit variable. We're pretty lucky that we have three or four allrounders. From watching, there's always a little bit of premeditation that [Philippe] gets in, but he still watches the ball and gets himself into nice positions where he can adjust if he doesn't get the ball where he wants to. He's just so balanced and still. He's been batting well in all three formats and we're pretty lucky to have him."
Player of the Match Josh Philippe: "It was a great win. It was always going to be tough chasing that score but happy to get the team over the line. I think early with the new ball the seam got stuck in the wicket a bit but as the game went on, it got a bit better. It felt like it wasn't the most fluent innings I played so it helped when Moises and Silk came out and hit some boundaries. I have a few shots in mind before they bowl the ball but the most important thing is watching the ball close. It's almost like preloading with ideas and then you decide based on where you see the ball."
That's it from us today. Big Bash is taking a three-day breather now before returning to action on Sunday. Until then, I'm Peter Della Penna. On behalf of Alex Malcolm, take care!
If he wants three figures, can do it with a two and then a six.
Qais Ahmad to bowl the final over.
Hundred still possible. Sixers need six from six balls. If he gets a four and a six, he'd get to three figures. If he hits a six first, the match ends with Philippe on 96.
Philippe's third fifty-plus score in four matches confirms Sixers' credentials as the BBL's barometer