Sydney Sixers 8 for 169 (Philippe 48, Holder 33*, Silk 31, Nabi 2-11) beat Melbourne Renegades 6 for 168 (Marsh 67, Finch 39, Christian 2-19) by two wickets
Jason Holder clubbed 16 off the final over from Will Sutherland to carry the Sydney Sixers to their second nerve-jangling victory in two games and consign the Melbourne Renegades to a fourth defeat in a row.
It looked as though the skills of Kane Richardson had done just enough for the Renegades with their spinners, especially Imad Wasim, also doing an excellent job but Holder finished it with a six from the penultimate ball.
The game was one where both sides gained and relinquished strong positions in equal measure with Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch adding 75 for the first wicket, the Sixers closing out well with the ball, and then Josh Philippe giving them a flying start to the chase. Wasim and Mohammad Nabi, who only bowled two overs, took 4 for 31 between them but Sutherland's night ended with a forgettable 1 for 57.
Holder's final flourish
This was the final outing of Holder's brief three-match stay with the Sixers and he saved his best until last. The equation came down to 16 off five balls when he missed the first ball of the final over - a rare occasion when Sutherland nailed his yorker for the evening - and two off the next delivery left it further in the Renegades' favour. However, the move to leave mid-off inside the circle proved costly as the next two full deliveries were drilled down the ground although it wouldn't have mattered where the fielder was for the next shot as Holder sent it into the stands. Sutherland, who had earlier copped a bit of frustration from captain Finch for being out of position in the field, was distraught.
Richardson's skills go unrewarded
Richardson had an outstanding night with the ball and his 2 for 21 off four overs came close to being a match-winning effort. His opening over had Philippe in all sorts of trouble, a big lbw shout correctly declined first ball and then an edge wide of the keeper that would have gone to slip. The last ball of the over was carved into the off side and Wasim spilled a tough chance over his shoulder running back from point. Philippe was on 4 and would finish with 48, including five boundaries in a row off Sutherland. Richardson's second over, the third of the innings, conceded two boundaries but his third was the second of the Power Surge and cost two which included four dot balls against Holder. His final over went for just five and included the wickets of Carlos Brathwaite and Ben Dwarshuis but it proved futile.
Marsh joins elite club
It never quite felt as though Marsh found top gear, but his 67 off 48 balls formed the backbone of the Renegades' innings. At the ten-over mark, he was 31 off 28 balls but then took the majority of the 14 runs that came from the 11th bowled by Steve O'Keefe. His fifty came from 38 deliveries and perhaps the most notable shot of his innings, although not a six, was the forehand smash off a Holder slower ball that was so short it was dipping as it arrived and Marsh could have played three shots at it. Moments before that stroke he had become just the third batsman - after his current opening partner Finch and the Brisbane Heat's Chris Lynn - to reach 2000 BBL runs. After his dismissal, the Renegades were restricted to 46 off the last five overs despite having eight wickets in hand and 18 of those came off the penultimate over.
