BBL6 Semi Final 2 Recap - Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers @ The Gabba

Brisbane Heat 9/167 (20 Overs) and 0/15 (1) Defeated By Sydney Sixers 8/167 (20 Overs) and 0/22 (1) @ The Gabba

Sixers Reach Final After Epic Super-Over Win

The Sydney Sixers have withstood a withering comeback from the Brisbane Heat by winning a dramatic Super-Over by 7 runs after the game was tied. The Sixers were cruising at 2/133 chasing the Heat's modest 167, before a calamitous collapse left them needing 6 runs from the final over with 3 wickets in hand. When Johan Botha was controversially given out hooking, the Sixers looked doomed, needing 4 from 2 balls with Nathan Lyon and Ben Dwarshuis at the crease. However, the pair managed to scramble 3 runs from the final 2 balls to set up the first Super-Over of BBL6. After making a sparkling 64 in the run chase, Moises Henriques pummelled 18 n/o from the Super-Over as the Sixers set the Heat a near impossible 23 runs to get from one over. McCullum and Cutting tried their best, however could only muster 15, as the Sixers advanced to the final in Perth on Saturday. Earlier on Brendon McCullum led from the front, once more top scoring for the Heat, before a middle order collapse saw their momentum stall. Nathan Lyon was sensational, as he has been all BBL6, claiming a mesmerising 4/23 from his 4 overs as the Sixers limited the Heat to 9/167. Daniel Hughes' 46 supported the skipper well, before that barely believable collapse set up a remarkable Super-Over. 

Sixers To Meet Arch Rival Scorchers 

The Sixers and Scorchers will meet for the third time in a BBL final when they lock horns in Perth on Saturday night. The sides met way back in the BB1 Grand Final at the WACA, with the Sixers winning by 7 wickets courtesy of a brilliant 70 from 41 balls from Moises Henriques. However, the Scorchers got their revenge in 2014/15 in Canberra when the Scorchers scampered home on the last ball to win by 4 wickets. Sixers captain Moises Henriques was this time the villain as he muffed a final ball run out which would have sent the game to a Super-Over. When the sides met earlier in the season at the SCG, the Scorchers produced close to their worst display of BBL6 as they were bundled out for 130 before losing by 7 wickets. Both sides are full of big match performers and I expect this game to be a cracker in what could be the Scorchers' last ever game at the WACA. With the new 60,000 seat Stadium down the road nearing completion, a win would be a memorable way to send off a cherished old and hostile ground. 

Sixers Big Match Experience Tells

I said in the lead up to this game I thought the Sixers had an edge over the Heat in big match experience, and in Captain Moises Henriques they found a man on a mission. Henriques has done it before for the Sixers and NSW in the crunch and won titles along the way, so it was no surprise to see the skipper play his two most important innings of BBL6 all in the one game. His 64 put the Sixers in a near impenetrable position in the run chase before they inexplicably lost 6/31 to nearly throw the game away. Henriques then had to come out and rescue his team again, as he belted 18 n/o in the Super-Over to get his team to another final. When Henriques is in full flow, there are not too many more aesthetically pleasing batsmen in the country. He times the ball sensationally, and can be equally classic as he can be brutal. When he is in that sort of mood, he looks one of the best batsmen in the country, and I still think he can make it at international level. He has played a bit in his shell in the opportunities he has been given, and the timing of his recalls have often been very tough. Henriques has been thrown into the fire in Tests in losing series in Sri Lanka and India, however I would like to see how he goes given a full home summer. For now though, his focus will be steering his side towards another triumph in Perth on Saturday night. 

Bowling Cutting In Super Over Questionable

Brendon McCullum rolled the dice by opting for final over hero Ben Cutting to bowl the Super-Over. You can't be too critical of McCullum as he was going with the hot hand, as Cutting had limited the Sixers to just 5 runs in his final over while picking up a wicket to force a tie. So effectively, without Cutting's last over, the Heat would have already been heading home. On the flip side of that, Cutting was bowling at the likes of Botha, Dwarshish and Lyon, compared to the dominant Moises Henriques he would have to bowl to in the Super-Over. Put it this way, I think Henriques would have been happy to see Cutting at the bowling crease. He has a history of taking him down and loves pace on the ball. Cutting had been going at over 10 runs per over in BBL6 and promptly bowled 3 slot balls which Henriques dismantled for 16 runs, effectively taking the game away from the Heat. McCullum is a gambler, however this gamble backfired badly. However that's the way he operates, he puts faith in his players and is a gung-ho captain at times. Overall, the Heat, and the competition in general, are better for it. 

Lurker Finishing In Style

The Lurker might have suffered a form slump in 2017, however he has rebounded here when the stakes are at their highest. Last night he brought up a memorable double as the Sixers scraped over the line and Moises Henriques comfortably scored the 25+ predicted by the Lurker. He could not quite land the High Bat/Bowler double despite Sean Abbott picking up the most wickets as Nic Maddinson failed again. The Lurker now sits at 21-13 for the season, with just the one big game to go. Can he go out on in a blaze of glory?