FOR the second consecutive night a Sydney-based side benefited from an opposition mistake that failed to capture its highest run scorer early and were made to pay the price in the BBL|14.

After a bungled non-appeal for a runout of Sam Billings – who went on to win Player of the Match – by the Melbourne Stars last night, it was mayhem again when two Brisbane Heat fielders failed to decide which one would catch a skied ball off the bat of Josh Philippe.

In what a facepalming moment for Heat fans, they could only helplessly watch on as Paul Walter and Colin Munro tried to work out which one would attempt the catch when Philippe was on just three runs on the first ball of the third over. The indecision was costly, with the ball landing nearby instead and the Sixers batsman would go on to make an unbeaten 66 off 44 balls.

The bowler at the time – Xavier Bartlett – did not have to wait long for a breakthrough wicket, sending down an outswinger to James Vince which edged to Matt Renshaw the very next ball. The Sixers had dismissed the danger man coming off an unbeaten century in the win over the Stars on Boxing Day, but breakthroughs were far and few in between for the Heat.

In fact, just one more wicket would fall – that of Kurtis Patterson in the eighth over for 32 off 20 – as Philippe and skipper Moises Henriques would bat out the last nine overs before the Sixers reached the total. Not even needing to use their Power Surge, the Sixers surged past the total without it, surpassing the 138 runs set by the Heat with 23 balls remaining and eight wickets in hand.

Phillipe smashed seven boundaries and two over the rope en route to his unbeaten 66, while Henriques finished on 29 off 27, also able to hit three boundaries along the way. It was a steady innings from the duo considering the Heat had only set a low total, and the Sixers prioritised wickets along the way.

The big difference in the innings came between the fifth and 10th overs where the Sixers scored 1-59 compared to 1-34 and were able to go on with it from there. Fielding also played a key role, with that missed catch even more crucial considering some of the incredible catches in the earlier innnings.

Jordan Silk has been regarded as one of the BBL’s best fielders and it is easy to see why, taking a couple of ripping catches to dismiss both Jimmy Peirson, and somewhat ironically due to the indecision later, Munro. Moments like that meant the Heat could never get going with only Nathan McSweeney‘s 34 off 29 balls surpassing Peirson’s 24 off 25.

While much was said of the Sixers’ fielding, Ben Dwarhuis got the job done with the ball, taking four wickets on the night at an economy rate of eight, while Hayden Kerr and Todd Murphy both took a couple each too. With the Heat only able to grab 13 runs from their Power Surge in overs 14 and 15, it ramped up the pressure, and while able to add a further 39 runs in the last five overs, lost four wickets along the way.

The win kept the Sydney Sixers unbeaten for a fourth straight match, the only team to do so and are four points clear of the rest. Brisbane Heat slumped to a 2-2 record after starting the season with two victories, and will be keen to turn it around when they return to The Gabba on New Year’s Day against the winless Stars. The Sixers also take to the field on the first day of 2025, heading to Bellerive to clash with the Hobart Hurricanes.

SCORECARD

RESULT: Sixers won by 8 wickets with 23 balls remaining
POTM: Ben Dwarshuis (Sydney Sixers)
BAT FLIP: Sixers won and elected to bowl

Brisbane Heat
Nathan McSweeney 34 (29), Jimmy Peirson 24 (25)
Ben Dwarshuis 4-32 (4), Hayden Kerr 2-19 (4), Todd Murphy 2-25 (3)

Sydney Sixers
Josh Philippe 66* (41), Kurtis Patterson 32 (20), Moises Henriques 29* (27)
Xavier Bartlett 1-21 (3), Paul Walter 1-25 (3)

INNINGS BREAKDOWN:

Power Play (1-4):
Heat: 1-24
Sixers: 1-25

Halfway (10):
Heat: 2-58
Sixers: 2-84

Power Surge:
Heat: (14-15): 4-80 to 5-93 (1-13)
Sixers: N/A

Totals:
Heat: 9-138
Sixers: 2-142

SQUADS

Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro (c), Tom Banton, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Daniel Drew, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Paul Walter

Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Akeal Hosein, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk, James Vince