Sydney Sixers clinched a nail-biting win over local rivals Sydney Thunder in their Big Bash League (BBL) match on Saturday. With seven required of the last two deliveries, Ben Dwarshuis hit a six of the penultimate ball off Chris Green before comfortably guiding the final for a single to seal the match. However, an incidet involving two Thunder players caught the attention of fans on social media. Spinner Tanveer Sangha and wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings were involved in a fielding mix-up, leaving captain David Warner fuming over the same.

The incident happened on the first ball of the 15th over of the Sixers’ chase as Moises Henriques mistimed his pull of Sangha’s delivery. Henriques got a top edge as the ball went high up in the air. 

It seemed like a regulation catch but miscommunication between Sangha and Billings saw the ball dropping into no man’s land. Warner didn’t seem to happy as he was seen throwing his arms in the air.

Nightmare fuel #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/mDt9RpSzHp

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 21, 2024

The moment reminded fans of a similar incident involving for Pakistan players Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malik.

Chasing 164 for victory, the Sixers looked shot when they needed 47 from the final four overs.

But Jordan Silk (36no from 25) helped them take 17 from a Nathan McAndrew over, before Dwarshius provided the late heroics with 20no from eight balls.

After launching Lockie Ferguson for six from the first ball he faced, the Sixers quick then took charge with 15 needed from Chris Green’s final over.

Green’s first three balls were hard to get away but he was hurt by two straight wides outside off.

Then with seven needed from two balls, Dwarshuis smashed Green over the long-on rope for six, before taking a quick single off the last ball to seal the win.

It came after Dwarshuis also hit 14 from six balls on Monday night to help the Sixers beat the Melbourne Renegades.

(With Added Inputs)

Cricket Australia on Friday unveiled the schedule for the upcoming season of the Big Bash League (BBL) with Perth Scorchers hosting Melbourne Stars in the tournament opener on December 15. Every club to play in front of home fans in bumper first eight days of men’s Big Bash League’s 14th edition. Reigning champions Brisbane Heat will cap off an epic opening eight days when they face Adelaide Strikers on December 22. Sydney Thunder will host two games in the opening week – Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on December 17 before returning to their western suburbs base four days later for the first Saturday night clash of the season, a blockbuster Sydney Smash against the Sixers.

That match will form part of a Super Saturday double-header with Hobart Hurricanes to play their first home game of the season in a twilight fixture against the Scorchers at Blundstone Arena.

Australia’s men’s Test players will again be provided with an opportunity to suit up for their Big Bash teams with every club to play at least three regular season matches following the end of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Test on January 7.

Usman Khawaja (Heat), Nathan Lyon (Renegades) and Mitch Marsh (Scorchers) are currently the only Test regulars with BBL deals for the upcoming season but batters Travis Head, Alex Carey (both Strikers), Marnus Labuschagne (Heat) and Steve Smith (Sixers) have long affiliations with their clubs and all remain confident of securing their deals for the tournament.

Clubs can also sign a maximum of two Cricket Australia contracted players to a marquee supplementary list, like the Sixers and Thunder did with Mitchell Starc and Test skipper Pat Cummins, respectively, last season and bring them into their squad should they become available.

“This is a brilliant schedule for fans, with uninterrupted action every night of the regular season and all the marquee games our fans love,” said Alistair Dobson, CA’s general manager of Big Bash Leagues.

“We also can’t wait to welcome back members of the Australian Test team once again in January, taking advantage of a bigger window following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.”

The league’s finals series will follow the same four-game format as last season, beginning with the qualifier on January 21 and concluding with a final on January 27.

–IANS

ab/bc