Sydney Sixers secured second-place in the Big Bash League and their place in Tuesday's qualifier match with a five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat. Heat, who could have qualified for the play-offs at Sixers' expense with a win, finish fifth despite scoring 171-9 in a first innings where Mitchell Starc took 4-35. Sixers batters Steve Smith and Sam Curran both made half-centuries and put on 60 for the fourth wicket, with their side passing their target in the penultimate over of the innings.
Sydney Sixers secured second-place in the Big Bash League and their place in Tuesday's qualifier match with a five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat.
Heat, who could have qualified for the play-offs at Sixers' expense with a win, finish fifth despite scoring 171-9 in a first innings where Mitchell Starc took 4-35.
Sixers batters Steve Smith and Sam Curran both made half-centuries and put on 60 for the fourth wicket, with their side passing their target in the penultimate over of the innings.
Nathan McSweeney top-scored for Heat after they were put into bat, hitting an unbeaten 69 from number three.
McSweeney added 48 with Michael Neser (35) for the seventh wicket, but saw other partners fall cheaply with no other Heat batter passing 20.
Sixers lost top-order batters Babar Azam and Josh Philippe for one and eight respectively, but Smith's early hitting set his side on course.
The Australia vice-captain was bowled for 54 by Zaman Khan, but Curran took over, hitting 15 runs off Matthew Kuhnemann's 18th over to reach 53 off 27 balls.
Needing 11 to win, Lachlan Shaw smashed a four and a six off the next two balls, but was caught behind off Xavier Bartlett with the scores level.
Jack Edwards then finished the game in style, lifting Bartlett for a match-winning six over mid-wicket.
The winners of Tuesday's qualifier match against the table-topping Perth Scorchers go straight to next Sunday's final.
The losers play the winner of Wednesday's knockout match between third-placed Hobart Hurricanes and fourth-placed Melbourne Stars, with the victors in that Friday encounter progressing to the tournament showpiece.
Category: General Sports
