Boundary off a misfield sends Sixers into the final! Length ball on middle, they flick through midwicket for a definite one, the pressure is on the fielder to rush a relay in order to deny victory and force a super over. Instead, in the process, he fumbles the ball through his hands as it goes into the rope! Kerr was dropped off a sitter on 16 at deep square leg and carries on to make another 80 runs including the winning boundary stroke!
Strikers vs Sixers, Challenger at Sydney, BBL, Jan 26 2022 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Sixers won by 4 wickets (with 0 balls remaining)
10.40 pm Sixers have limped, literally, into the final. The Strikers dream end of season run finally comes to an end. Scorchers will be overwhelming favorites in the final. Forget about matching talent with the Scorchers, will the Sixers even be able to get 11 fit bodies on the field?
Sixers captain Moises Henriques: "[Silk] went out to the short boundary in the hope that if was on strike, he had that short boundary. If he batted at No. 9, he could have a runner. We sent him in at No. 8 to try to get a couple boundaries in that last over. As soon as he wasn't able to face a ball and we needed a person to run, we knew he couldn't run so we just thought we'd retire him and put out someone who can. [When asked if retiring Silk before the final ball is within the spirit of the game] They're clearly within the rules of the game. Unfortunately we had a guy go down with a hamstring, one of the fittest guys in the league, probably something to do with our schedule, five flights in eight days and so many back to back games. I don't really see how that's... We're trying to back up with guys who are carrying little injuries. He normally bats No. 5, the fact that he's gone in at No. 8, I think we're sacrificing enough as it is. 27 off 12, even 31 off 13 and then Sean hit that four, we always talk about trying to get the game down to 50 off five overs and we should win with set batters. It was a bit more than that tonight and with a few less experienced batters in but when you've got someone like Hayden on 60 or 70 not out, he'd opened the batting a few times before and I feel like throughout the season with his bowling coming along, his confidence has built up with both bat and ball. So he was a pretty clear choice for us to go up and open. The way he held his nerve in the last three or four overs, beautifully supported by Sean, that was a pretty special win, especially considering all the lead-up that's gone on. I have no idea at this stage [if I'll be fit for the final]. It's gonna have to be a bloody bad calf for me not to play to be honest. Obviously a flight tomorrow won't be amazing. But we'll see what happens. At this stage, I think I'll be fine to play. I'll just hobble around like an old bloke but I've been doing that all season anyway."
Player of the Match Hayden Kerr: "It's a pretty unbelievable moment for myself and the team. We just seem to always find a way to get it done in those moments and tonight was just another example. The help of the other boys was really good, kept me grounded and just focus on each ball at hand. I was seeing the ball pretty nicely and was just trying to keep still and hit the ball hard and it came off for me. Yesterday afternoon [after we found out about Philippe's positive Covid test], I was at training [and was told I'd open today] so I had a stick against the new ball which I hadn't done for awhile. I had a sleepless night and was very nervous today. I thought the total was 20 under, but was disappointed with my bowling performance so was quite happy to be able to contribute with the bat. Sean has been in those moments a lot so it was really good for him to pass that on to me and he relieved the pressure off me. I'm not sure what his strike rate was, but it felt like he was going at four or six a ball and that got us over the line. I definitely rode my luck as well. Missed chance first ball of the game which was really stupid of me in hindsight and then a missed chance early too. But after I got past that, I just stayed centered and did the job."
Incredible drama to end this game. Can the final match it? Come back in two days to find out. For Alex Malcolm on comms and Andrew McGlashan at the SCG as well as the rest of the scoring team, I'm Peter Della Penna. Stay tuned for Tristan Lavalette's report. That's it for now. Take care!
Sixers bench are calling for Silk to retire hurt because he can't run. They want a healthy runner to be at the non-striker's end for the final ball. Very dramatic. Off comes Silk. Lenton, who was an assistant coach entering the day, is now off strike for the final ball ready to run like the wind.
length ball on the stumps, slapped past the non-striker's stumps and they jog an easy two.
Kerr has now quadrupled his career-best, which was 22 entering tonight.
Sixers still alive! Slower ball lands on fifth stump, Kerr heaves this over cow corner. The man on the rope leaps up and gets fingertips to it but it slips through and goes over the rope.
Boundary or bust now for Kerr with Silk basically unable to run properly.
full on the stumps, heaved to deep midwicket and Silk hobbles to the non-striker's end for one.
Jordan Silk comes out to bat on one leg.
full on off, whips this flat through deep midwicket for one, Dwarshuis panics after completing the first and for some reason turns back instead of coming back for two. Easy two was there, especially with a terrible relay from Renshaw but Sixers pay for the indecision during the final over. They had to run back for two no matter what to keep Kerr on strike. Even with the awful throw, Carey collects and runs seven yards to lunge into the stumps to get the bails off before Dwarshuis can get back in his crease.
Dwarshuis enters off strike. Kerr on 85 with 12 needed off five.
full and wide on fifth stump, shovels this to wide long-off, Abbott's gem comes to an end. Head shuffles 15 yards to his left and takes a safe rib high catch two yards inside the rope. Head erupts with fist pumps.
12 off the final over needed. Conway to bowl it. Kerr has been getting most of the attention in this chase but Sean Abbott is playing a supreme gem. 41 off 19 and will start the final over on strike. A 16-carat diamond knock!
yorker on fifth stump, toe jammed out behind the stumps and the keeper fields it for one.
massive blow over square leg! Length ball on the body, Abbott wristily flicks this deep over the rope into the 14th row.
slower bouncer on fifth stump, called a wide on height by the square leg umpire. Thornton isn't happy.
length ball at full pace, Abbott heaves this to deep midwicket, diving stop by Head running along the rope and turns four into two.
shin high full toss on leg stump, flicked flat to deep square leg but picks out the man on the rope for one. Should really have gone for four. Close shave for Thornton.
full on middle, flicked through wide midwicket for two more.
misfires a yorker as a shin high full toss on middle, punches short of long-on for two.
27 off 12 balls needed. Definitely within reach for the Sixers. But Strikers have to be slight favorites.
another last ball of the over boundary for the Sixers! Slower ball short and wide, keeps the hands back to slap this past extra cover to the rope.
Abbott shuffles well outside off trying to ramp over fine leg but Siddle bowls it full on seventh stump and Abbott winds up toe jamming this tamely back to Siddle.
good length ball outside off, heaved flat to the leg side for one.
good length ball almost off the pitch outside off, Kerr shuffled a long way across to reverse scoop over short third man. Kerr was almost off the pitch playing the shot and swung through it. Wide called. Siddle is fuming feeling like the batter went way outside off to premeditate and the bowler was only adjusting.
slower length ball on middle, backs away to punch wide of Short at extra cover for one.
slower ball on fifth stump, Short dives forward at extra cover and it barely short hops him but he keeps it to one.
length ball on sixth stump, swings through a leg side heave.
Over 20 • SS 170/6