SYDNEY Thunder have progressed to their first Big Bash League (BBL) decider in nearly a decade after defeating rivals, the Sixers by four wickets in last night’s Challenger. The SCG was painted green as the Thunder, who finished last in BBL|13, successfully chased the 152-run target with seven balls to spare.

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Chasing just their second title, the Thunder will move on to face the Hobart Hurricanes at Bellerive Oval on Monday night. The result comes after losing their last half-dozen games against the Sixers, seeing the magenta men bow out of the tournament in straight sets.

Laying claim to a relatively inexperienced batting lineup scattered with allrounders, the Thunder got the job done despite 36 (31) being the highest partnership of the chase. Player of the Match Sam Billings was there at the end alongside Nathan McAndrew, who brought up the winning runs with a six.

Billings was part of two seperate 28-run stands which helped tick the scoring along. He was somewhat starved of the strike but helped guide his side home with an unbeaten 42 off 29 deliveries. McAndrew, who tonked two fours and a six in the decisive 19th over, finished on 19 from seven.

A lightning start from Jason Sangha (30 off 19) helped ease pressure in terms of the scoring rate after opening partner and captain David Warner departed for 11. Sangha combined with Matthew Gilkes for the aforementioned innings-high partnership but was felled by Jafer Chohan (1-22).

Gilkes, who was uncharacteristically dropped by Lachlan Shaw on just three, ended up with 26 off 22. To that point, Jack Edwards (1-19) had a hand in the opening three wickets having stuck the catches to remove Warner and Sangha, before clumsily helping Hayden Kerr run out Gilkes.

While Edwards would go on to nab the wicket of Chris Green (16), Kerr also contributed with the ball to claim 2-35 (4). He rattled the stumps of both Hugh Weibgen (8) and George Garton (2) to keep his side in the hunt as pressure mounted on the Thunder to peg back the required run rate.

There was plenty of talk surrounding the Thunder’s Power Surge struggles, and despite losing a set batter in Green on the cusp of it, they compiled the 23 runs needed in overs 18 and 19. Billings hit a clutch six at the end of the 18th before McAndrew’s power hitting did the rest.

The Sixers’ subpar 6-157 total was set having been sent in to bat earlier in the night. Steady middle stages were compensated for by Jordan Silk’s unbeaten 43 off 30, along with a handy 30 (20) from Dwarshuis. The pair added 56 runs for the sixth wicket.

Before then, the Sixers looked in deep trouble when Tom Andrews (2-15) struck twice in an over. Garton gloved a screamer to remove Moises Henriques (29 off 30), and Lachlan Shaw was gone for a duck to have the score sitting at 5-76 in the 13th over.

Despite the late flourish, Wes Agar finished with 2-25, while Garton bagged 1-14 off two overs, and McAndrew bowled out to contribute 1-42. Spinners Green and Tanveer Sangha were extremely economical, conceding just 51 runs between them from a combined eight overs.

SCORECARD

Sydney Sixers 7-151 (20)
Jordan Silk 43* (30), Ben Dwarshuis 30 (20), Moises Henriques 29 (30)
Tom Andrews 2-15 (2), Wes Agar 2-25 (4), George Garton 1-14 (2)

Sydney Thunder 6-157 (18.5)
Sam Billings 42* (29), Jason Sangha 30 (19), Nathan McAndrew 19* (7)
Hayden Kerr 2-35 (4), Jack Edwards 1-19 (3), Jafer Chohan 1-22 (4)

INNINGS BREAKDOWNS:

Power Play (1-4):
Sixers: 2-23
Thunder: 1-35

Halfway (10):
Sixers: 3-62
Thunder: 3-79

Power Surge:
Sixers (16-17): 5-93 to 5-113 (0-20)
Thunder (18-19): 5-129 to 6-157 (1-28)

Totals:
Sixers: 7-151 (20)
Thunder: 6-157 (18.5)