Smith’s Record-Equalling Century Leads Sydney Sixers to Victory
After the intense Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Steve Smith smoothly transitioned into the T20 format with a record-equalling third BBL century, helping Sydney Sixers defeat Perth Scorchers. Smith scored an unbeaten 121 off 64 balls, his third century in his last seven BBL innings, as the Sixers posted a massive 220 runs. Despite Ashton Turner’s excellent knock of 66* off 32 balls, the Scorchers were unable to chase down the target.
Smith’s Innings: A Slow Start, Then Acceleration
Smith began his innings slowly, scoring less than a run per ball in the powerplay. However, Moises Henriques, batting at No. 4, injected momentum into the innings. Together, Smith and Henriques added 113 runs in just 57 balls, with Henriques contributing 46 runs from 28 balls. Smith, who had taken 36 balls to reach 50, quickly accelerated, scoring his second 50 in just 22 balls. He became only the second player after Ben McDermott to score three BBL centuries.
In the final overs, Smith and Ben Dwarshius added 60 runs in three overs, taking the total well past 200. The Scorchers kept the chase alive but fell short by 14 runs. Henriques bowled a brilliant final over to seal the victory for the Sixers.
Brief scores:
Sydney Sixers 220/3 in 20 overs (Steve Smith 121*, Moises Henriques 46; Ashton Agar 1-27)
Perth Scorchers 206/7 in 20 overs (Ashton Turner 66*; Sean Abbott 4-43)
Sydney Sixers won by 14 runs.
Matt Short’s Explosive Century Guides Adelaide Strikers to Big Win
Matt Short’s explosive 109 off 54 balls powered Adelaide Strikers to a commanding 56-run victory over Brisbane Heat. His century was the fastest ever by a Strikers player, and helped his team post an impressive total of 251/5. This score was the highest ever at the Adelaide Oval and the second-highest in BBL history. Brisbane Heat struggled to keep up with the massive target.
Short’s Masterclass in Ball-Striking
Short made the most of the perfect batting pitch, smashing 10 fours and seven sixes. He formed a fiery opening partnership with Chris Lynn (47 off 20), reaching 100 in just the 7th over. Alex Ross’s 44* off 19 balls ensured the Strikers kept the momentum going and finished with a huge total.
Heat’s Chase Falls Short
Brisbane Heat, with captain Colin Munro unavailable due to injury, faced an uphill task in the chase. Nathan McSweeney (43 off 24) and Matt Renshaw (34 off 16) provided brief sparks but were unable to bat long enough to make a real challenge. Johnson’s late hitting was not enough to make a difference, and the Heat fell short by 56 runs.
Brief scores:
Adelaide Strikers 251/5 in 20 overs (Matt Short 109, Chris Lynn 47; Matthew Kuhnemann 3-50)
Brisbane Heat 195 in 20 overs (Nathan McSweeney 43; D’Arcy Short 4-15, Liam Haskett 2-43)
Adelaide Strikers won by 56 runs.
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