That was a fun game. Perhaps an expected result but much more closely contested than it seems by a look at the scorecard. Hopefully, they are signs of promise heading into a new season.

Moises Henriques, POTM and Sydney Sixers captain: We've had a lot of success but the first game is often nerve-wracking. Glad we bowled well. Balls flew over the keeper early. Thought they were 10-15 overs, but glad we got through. I was trying to play it down in the Surge as we needed 34 off 24 and I took it, watched the ball hard and hit it hard, but tough gig for Zorba with the short boundary. To bowl spin in the Surge is tough, even for a world-class spinner, but there wasn't much hold in the wicket. (Abbott and Dwarshuis) They went at 8 and 9 an over but bowled tough overs, so I felt the boys bowled better than what his figures suggest.

10:35pm: Three sixes and two fours in the last two overs and Sixers are home with nine balls to spare. They were often at par with the asking rate but, like Gades earlier in the day, lose wickets in a cluster, thanks to Sutherland. But the set up by Vince and Edwards was solid, and the pitch eased over time. The running, especially from Moises, was impeccable. They got ones and twos, with the odd boundary, got eights and tens effortlessly off an over. They got the Surge, and Dwarshuis - who came in after Hayden Kerr was retired hurt - got a couple away, ensuring Sixers were indeed a few short.