Sydney Thunder 157 for 6 (Billings 42*, Sangha 30, Kerr 2-35) beat Sydney Sixers 151 for 7 (Silk 43*, Andrews 2-15, Agar 2-25) by four wickets
David Warner will have the chance to lead Sydney Thunder to their first BBL title in nine years after his side held their nerve in a scrappy Challenger final derby against Sydney Sixers to win by four wickets, with seven balls to spare.
Thunder had been excellent in the field, with only a sixth-wicket stand of 56 from 34 balls between Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis hauling Sixers as far as 151. Although Tom Andrews was their only spinner in the wickets – his brace came in the space of three balls – Thunder’s spinners were otherwise again very effective. The ten overs between Andrews, Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green cost just 66 runs on a surface that offered assistance.
In reply, young English legspinner Jafer Chohan was very impressive, but Sixers did not have the volume of spin overs they were able to turn to as Thunder set up a final showdown with Hobart Hurricanes on Monday.
Jason Sangha opens up
Thunder have tried a variety of opening combinations this season, although some of it has been out of their hands due to injury to Cameron Bancroft, and a Test call-up for Sam Konstas. For the Challenger, they opted for Jason Sangha, alongside Warner. Sangha was playing in just his second game of the season, and started with a bang by taking 14 runs off the first over.
Warner then scooped his first ball from Kerr for six, and Thunder were off to a flyer. But he bunted a catch to mid-on in the third over. Sangha, meanwhile, had reached 30 off 19 balls at the other end, when he slog-swept Chohan to deep midwicket, as the game really started to tighten up.
A zing-bail run-out
When on 3, Thunder’s Matthew Gilkes was given a life as he lofted Ben Manenti’s first ball to long-off, where Lachlan Shaw, who has produced some spectacular fielding in the competition, spilled a regulation catch in front of the Thunder dugout. From there, Gilkes built steadily, including landing a huge six into the Members Stand off Mitch Perry. But Gilkes was then at the centre of a borderline third-umpire decision.
Coming back for a second run after playing towards deep third, Gilkes was beaten by a superb throw from Kerr. But Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands. However, after multiple replays, the third umpire ruled that it was actually the ball that had dislodged the bail. So Gilkes was ruled out for 26. The stump could be seen moving before the ball made contact, but, crucially, the zing bails had not lit up, so they had not been fully dislodged. Without the zing bails moving, it was highly unlikely to have been given out. But the third umpire finally concluded that Edwards’ hands had indeed the moved the stumps enough when Gilkes was short of the crease.
That is when Sixers put the squeeze on. Hugh Weibgen under-edged on to the stumps against Kerr, and Thunder couldn’t find the big over that would likely have killed the game off sooner. Chohan was superb, as he had been in the Qualifier final, and did not concede a boundary until the final delivery of his spell.
Thunder held the power surge back until the 18th over, and though George Garton fell swinging across the line, Billings and Nathan McAndrew finished the job with some breathing space.
Full report to follow…
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
Source: ESPN Crickinfo