The Sydney Smash was left with a whimper as bad weather saw the Sydney Sixers lose at the SCG, sharing points with crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder.
Watch every game of the BBL live on Kayo and ad-free while you play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
Match Center: Sixers vs Thunder Scorecard, Teams, Videos, Updates
Persistent showers, a feature of the BBL calendar, resulted in an expected sell-out and fans were robbed of the chance to see Sam Konstas and Steve Smith go head-to-head before heading to Sri Lanka for the upcoming Test series.
When showers halted play for the second time, the Thunder were 1/36 after 5.1 overs with Thunder skipper David Warner unbeaten on 22 from 14 balls.
Without further play, the Sixers had done enough to retain second place in the qualifying round and secure two bites of the finals cherry.
Captain Moises Henriques can now prepare his men in magenta for next Tuesday’s final against the Hurricanes in Hobart.
A consistent season has left the Thunder unable to relinquish third place and they will be looking to extend their season when they host the knockout final at the ENGIE Stadium on Wednesday.
fight against the odds
Battered by howling southerly gusts of up to 50km/h, Sixers’ speedy Jack Edwards had the difficult task of handing the opening to Thunder live wire Konstas.
In an unusual moment, the right-hander did what Indian speedy Jasprit Bumrah could not do in the recent Border–Gavaskar Trophy. That meant pinning the opener to his crease with six dot balls.
After four balls, a shower halted proceedings and in the rush to cover the pitch, several groundsmen slipped when rough elements lifted the main cover.
Warner on Fire
Edwards continued his dominance when he returned to bring down Konstas (9/14) with a pinpoint yorker in the fourth over.
Amid the delay, Warner opened his account with three boundaries off Hayden Kerr before getting down on one knee and firing Sean Abbott over the cover boundary.
look below
The players and groundsmen weren’t the only ones struggling at the mostly poor SCG.
45 minutes before the scheduled kick-off, fans were evacuated from the bay at the north end of the O’Reilly Stand after the “vinyl undersheet” of the roof underside panels was discovered flapping in the wind.
The floppy sheets (approximately 3m x 2m) that were eventually released were cleared away by security personnel with no fans at risk.
Relive the action in the blog below. Can’t you see? Click here.
Match Preview
Sydney Sixers won the toss and elected to bowl.
Bad weather in Sydney caused part of the roof of the Bill O’Rielly Stand to fall.
Due to this incident, some stands were evacuated to protect spectators, but the problem was later resolved.
It comes just a day after the Hurricanes’ run to victory over the Heat was halted after a fire broke out in a DJ booth at The Gabba.
“Venues NSW has issued a statement regarding the roof incident.
“During tonight’s severe winds and storms, a piece of the vinyl undersheet of the O’Reilly stand became loose, which was confirmed by venue staff,” the statement said.
“Venue staff immediately removed patrons from the area to ensure their safety.
“After cleaning the area, a piece of the vinyl undersheet came off.
“Two seating areas have been cleared and customers have been offered seating in another bleacher area.
“As per standard processes, pre-event checks were carried out across the venue before the gates opened.
“Further testing is underway. “Our customers’ safety is our top priority.”
Winds of up to 52 km/h will make playing conditions difficult for athletes, with showers likely throughout the night.
The second-placed Sixers can move on to equal top spot with the Hurricanes with a win, while the third-placed Thunder can move level on points with the Sixers on 13 points with a win, with both sides targeting a home final.
Smith and Josh Philippe will be the Sixers’ dangerous men with the bat, while Ben Dwarshuis and Todd Murphy will lead the charge with the ball.
For the Thunder, Warner and Sam Konstas will be the key players with the bat while Muhammad Hasnain and Chris Green will lead the bowling attack.
The weather could be a factor for the Sydney Storms threatening to shorten the match to just five overs comprising a game.
This sets the scene for a mouth-watering and important clash on the eve of the BBL 14 finals series.
team
sydney sixers: Steve Smith, Josh Philippe(wk), Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques(c), Jordan Silk, Lachlan Shaw, Hayden Kerr, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Jafer Chohan, Todd Murphy
sydney thunder: David Warner(c), Sam Konstas, Hugh Weibgen, Sam Billings(wk), Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, George Garton, Daniel Christian, Nathan McAndrew, Tom Andrews, Mohammad Hasnain
