BBL 6 - Full Time Analysis Match 1

Sydney Sixers 1/160 (18 overs) Defeat Sydney Thunder 8/159 (20 Overs) @ Spotless Stadium 

1. Moses Henriques is a really classy batsman. I say it every year. I just think injuries have come at such untimely intervals for him over the past two or three years. Every time he gets a bit of momentum going, he seems to be out for a few months.  He just looks so balanced when he plays off front and back foot, and he looks like he has a heap of time. He has close to the best technique in the country for mine, in that he is equally dominant off front and back foot and against pace and spin. He can be a bit of a confidence player but I reckon he is capable of really belonging at international level once he gets that breakthrough innings. 

2. The Thunder blew this game with some soft dismissals with the bat. The Sixers didn't really have to work for their wickets as the Thunder slumped from 1/62 to 6/86. You can't do that in an Under 16's game let alone BBL Cricket. The Sixers batted far more intelligently, taking the innings deep with wickets in hand before cashing in when batsmen were set. It doesn't matter what the format is, if you have wickets in the shed late, you're a massive chance of winning games of cricket. 

3.Thunder have it all over the Sixes in the pace bowling stocks. They have serious pace and strike power in Russell and Cummins. This game would have been turned on its head if Clint McKay could have held on to a catch after a vicious bouncer from Russell should have had Henriques out first ball. They also put down a tough chance with Henriques on 28. This is a totally different ball game.  McKay is a very canny T20 bowler with his slower balls and good variety in lengths. Garinder Sandhu has been disappointing the last 12 months but he has the sort of arsenal to be effective in this format with his cutters and changes of pace. He just looks short of confidence. 

4. The Pitch at Spotless Stadium played really well. Groundsmen get plenty of headlines when things go wrong, but rarely the credit they deserve when they produce an excellent cricket wicket. It was only a few years ago this ground was a minefield and not up to standard for T20 cricket. Tonight's wicket had enough pace in it and played really well throughout the game. 

5. I'm not convinced of the Sixers' long term, despite their win tonight. The margin of victory was flattering to be honest considering the Thunder's self harm with the bat and a couple of key drops in the field. The good thing for the Sixes is their quicks could not have bowled much worse, so there is plenty of improvement there.The Thunder, with Watson back in the side, will look a much more balanced outfit. They will win some games this year, but I still don't think they are a finals team. 

6. What a debut night for "The Lurker". Not only did he correctly predict a Sixers victory, but he told you the Sixers would win easily and Henriques would get 25 + plenty of Tax. He also predicted Doug without the Rug would get the most poles and he finished in a 3-way tie. You would have had a very profitable night if you followed "The Lurker". He was typically modest in victory '"The Lurker has shown his proven quality on night 1, not only tipping the winner but also providing easy coin for all you battlers and strugglers out there. Get Around Me"