NewKerala.com

Babar Azam's 58* & Sean Abbott's 3/16 Guide Sixers to BBL Victory Over Renegades

Sydney Sixers secured a comfortable six-wicket victory over Melbourne Renegades in their BBL New Year's fixture. Chasing 165, the Sixers were anchored by a superb unbeaten 58 from Babar Azam, who shared crucial partnerships with Daniel Hughes and Moises Henriques. The win was set up by the bowlers, led by Sean Abbott's excellent 3/16, which restricted the Renegades to 164/9 despite a quickfire 43 from Josh Brown. Joel Davies provided the finishing fireworks with 34* off 15 balls, sealing the win with five balls to spare.

Key Points: Sixers Beat Renegades in BBL: Babar Azam, Sean Abbott Shine

  • Babar Azam's match-winning 58*
  • Sean Abbott's tight 3/16 spell
  • Joel Davies' explosive 34* finish
  • Renegades' 164/9 despite Josh Brown's 43
2 min read

BBL: Babar, Abbott shine as Sixers pull off six-wicket win over Renegades

Babar Azam's unbeaten 58 and Sean Abbott's 3/16 led Sydney Sixers to a six-wicket win over Melbourne Renegades in a thrilling BBL New Year's clash.

"Babar, who scored a 46-ball 58*, had a half-century stand with Joel Davies to take Sixers to a six-wicket win with five balls left. - Match Report"

Melbourne, January 1

A fine half-century from Babar Azam and a three-wicket haul by pacer Sean Abbott helped Sydney Sixers seal a six-wicket win over Melbourne Renegades during their Big Bash League New Year's clash on Thursday.

Billed as a contest between two Pakistani stalwarts, Renegades' Mohammed Rizwan and Sixers' Babar, it was the latter who came out on top, scoring his second half-century of the season.

Sixers' skipper Moises Henriques put Melbourne to bat first. Jack Edwards, the recent Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pick in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, continued his fine run, removing the danger man Tim Seifert for a nine-ball six. While a 44-run stand between Josh Brown (43 in 19 balls, with three fours and four sixes) and skipper Rizwan (6), with Josh doing the bulk of the scoring, Renegades were pushed two steps back with the removal of these two openers, leaving them at 61/3 in 6.4 overs.

Jake Fraser-McGurk (38 in 29 balls, with four boundaries) and Hassan Khan (39 in 29 balls, with a four and three sixes) fought hard, taking Renegades to a modest 164/9 in 20 overs.

Abbott (3/16) delivered a tight four-over spell for the Sixers. Recent Punjab Kings IPL buy, Ben Dwarshuis (2/47) and Hayden Kerr (2/40) were also among the wickets.

Sixers started off the chase with a 46-run opening stand between Babar and Daniel Hughes (30 in 23 balls, with two fours and a six). But Will Sutherland (1/27) and Gurinder Sandhu (2/23) pushed the Sixers back with two quick wickets, reducing them to 66/2 in 8.5 overs.

Babar, who scored a 46-ball 58*, with eight fours and a six, had a 42-run stand with skipper Henriques (23 in 18 balls, with a four and two sixes), taking Sixers beyond the 100-run mark. Some fireworks from Joel Davies (34* in 15 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and his half-century stand with Babar took Sixers to a six-wicket win with five balls left.

Abbott took home the 'Player of the Match' prize. In five matches, Babar has scored 129 runs in five innings at an average of 32.25, with a strike rate of around 117, with two half-centuries.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Sean Abbott was the real difference. 3/16 in 4 overs on a batting-friendly track is match-winning. The Sixers' bowling looks sharp with him and Kerr. The Renegades' middle order just collapsed under pressure.
P
Priya S
Interesting to see Jack Edwards and Ben Dwarshuis mentioned with their new IPL teams (SRH and PBKS). The BBL is such a good scouting ground for our IPL franchises. Edwards taking Seifert early was a key moment.
R
Rohit P
Rizwan had a quiet day, but Babar delivered. That's the thing about these top players, one always steps up. The article billed it as their contest, but cricket is a team game. Sixers' lower order finishing was clinical.
K
Karthik V
Respectful criticism: The Renegades' total was 15-20 runs short. Josh Brown's cameo was great, but after losing both openers, they needed someone to bat through like Babar did. Fraser-McGurk and Hassan Khan tried, but the innings lost momentum in the middle.
N
Nisha Z
Joel Davies with 34* off 15! What a finish. Youngster showing no nerves. The BBL is so good for giving these explosive local players a platform. Enjoying the cricket Down Under while we wait for the IPL to start! 🏏

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50