Sydney Sixers 5 for 165 (Henriques 57, Lalor 2-32) beat Brisbane Heat 7 for 164 (Lynn 84, Curran 3-25) by five wickets
Moises Henriques and Jordan Silk have delivered the Sydney Sixers the perfect start to the New Year executing a brilliantly timed chase to ensure Brisbane Heat remain winless.
The pair came together with the Sixers needing 84 from 51 balls. Henriques made an outstanding 57 from 37 balls before falling with 44 still needed from 23. But Silk and Josh Philippe ran the Heat ragged and maneuvred the ball to the vacant boundaries behind square with extraordinary skill. Silk fell for 46 from 25 balls with just six runs to win but Tom Curran finished the job.
Earlier, Chris Lynn held together the Heat's batting with a powerful 84. Youngster Max Bryant made an electric start in the Powerplay but he and Lynn were the only players in the Heat's top six to reach double figures. At one stage they were targeting a total of 150 but Lynn and Jimmy Peirson finished the innings superbly to set the Sixers 165 to win, but it still wasn't enough.
Bash Brothers' new sibling
The Heat opted for a change at the top of the order, dropping Brendon McCullum down to No.4 and promoting Sam Heazlett to have a left-right combination. Heazlett only made 2 but he was involved in a 34-run opening stand from the first 2.5 overs as the newest Bash Brother bucked his head. Max Bryant, 19, had shown glimpses in the first two games and he exploded here. The Sixers opted for spin from both ends and Bryant showed Ben Manenti and Steve O'Keefe no respect. He was savage on O'Keefe, who has been untouchable in the Powerplay this season, clubbing three fours and a six in the second over. He showed smart footwork against the veteran finding the rope off both the front and the back foot. He failed to go with his start though, holing out to long on in the fourth over for 34 from just 18 balls.
The lives of Lynn
Lynn had gone 21 T20 innings with a fifty, including seven T20 Internationals late in 2018. That was set to be 22 when he hit a towering sky ball to deep midwicket on 13, but Manenti was strangely positioned in the key spot instead of Silk, and looking into the sun he spilt the opportunity. Lynn reached 19 off 20 balls with just one boundary before he unleashed on Manenti with a huge six over long on. But he had to reign it in again as he lost Joe Burns and Ben Cutting in quick succession. He played wisely picking the gaps and biding his time. He launched his second six to bring up his fifty in the 15thover. He then unfurled his trademarks strikes. He hit Sean Abbott 98m over midwicket and Tom Curran's slower ball 93m over long on. He gave another life on 73, with Daniel Hughes unable to hold onto to a ball sliced over his head at backward point. It cost the Sixers another 11 runs before he was out for 84. Lynn got great support from Jimmy Peirson who made an excellent 23 off 17 balls to raise the total above 160.
Avendano air walk
The Sixers finally made a change at the top of the order dropping Jack Edwards and promoting 25-year-old North Sydney batsman Justin Avendano. It was an inspired move. Avendano struck two huge sixes and a boundary and the Sixers only lost one wicket in the Powerplay. Henriques joined the debutant after the fall of Joe Denly and the pair steadily built, never letting the required run-rate climb above 10 an over. But Avendano had a brain snap in the 11thover. After squeezing out a yorker to short third man, he was called through for a single. Ben Cutting threw at the non-striker's end and hit but Avendano didn't ground his bat and had his feet in the air. He would have made his ground easily if he had simply grounded his bat. Daniel Hughes fell five balls later as the required rate climbed to 10.25.
Silky finish
Henriques and Silk didn't panic. They faced just three dot balls in a 40-run partnership. Lynn had held back Mujeeb Ur Rahman's last over, after he conceded just 18 from his first three, hoping to bowl to a new batsman. But Henriques and Silk forced Lynn's hand in the 16thover. With Henriques set and ready to target the quicks, Silk gambled and slog swept Mujeeb for six and took 12 from the over. Henriques fell off the first ball of the 17th. But Silk and Josh Philippe never stuttered. They ran brilliantly to force fielding mistakes. Philippe played an incredible falling ramp shot to fine leg for four forcing a field change before Silk was able to pick the gap at deep square after the change had been made. Silk holed out from the last ball of the 19thbut had the presence of mind not to cross with Philippe so the set player was on strike for the start of the last. Philippe couldn't find the boundary but Tom Curran did to get the Sixers home with three balls to spare.
