Hobart Hurricanes end Sydney Sixers’ BBL streak with big win

The Hobart Hurricanes have handed the Sydney Sixers their first loss of the 2024-25 BBL season, thrashing the top-of-the-table side by 50 runs on Wednesday at the Bellerive Oval.

Sydney were $1.67 favourites across Big Bash bookies heading into the match, having won four straight to begin the season.

However, the Sixers misfired with the bat for the first time, managing only 111 runs in response to Hobart’s first innings score of 6/161.

The home side began well through openers Matthew Wade (15 from 16) and Mitchell Owen (33 from 17), racing through the first five overs at just shy of 10-an-over before Owen fell on the final ball of the fifth.

Wade followed soon after, as did Shai Hope (4 from 6), but captain Ben McDermott (34 from 25) and Nikhil Chaudhary (42 from 31) stabilised well, with the latter winning player of the match for his efforts.

Jackson Bird was the pick of the Sydney bowlers, nabbing 4/16 from his four overs as Hobart struggled to maximise the death overs.

However, the Hurricanes had more than enough runs, as the Sixers made a stuttering start to their chase.

Josh Philippe (6 from 7) fell early, followed by James Vince (11 from 10) and Kurtis Patterson (9 from 9).

While Moises Henriques (22 from 19) and Jordan Silk briefly got things back on track for the visitors with a 35-run partnership, more wickets were just around the corner.

When Henriques fell at 3/63, the floodgates opened and the remainder of the Sixers’ seven wickets tumbled for 48 runs.

“The Sixers were undefeated so that’s a great win,” Chaudhary said after the match, having added figures of 1/15 to his efforts with the bat.

“I was training pretty hard before the BBL.

“I was talking to Jimmy our batting coach and it was mostly because the wicket was pretty sticky.

“So we were just hoping 160-170 and that was our goal.

“And finally, we got it.

“So I’m happy for that.”

Despite the loss, the Sixers remain top of the table in the BBL, with cricket betting sites favouring them to win the title as well.

PlayUp pays $3.75 for them to win their fourth title, ahead of the Perth Scorchers ($5).

Next up, Sydney head to Brisbane to take on the Heat on Friday, January 3.

Hobart, who moved to fourth on the BBL table off the back of their win over Sydney, stay at home and host the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday, January 5.

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