BBL 2019-20 | Sixers vs Strikers - Ask Me Anything ft Josh Philippe’s blitzkrieg and Josh Hazlewood’s class
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While I wouldn’t want to miss any BBL game, given the excitement and entertainment they have to offer, let me tell you that life is too short for any regrets. So here I have vetted some really informative answers from the game based on questions I gathered from an AMA session with the fans.
Who won the bat flip?
In regular captain Moises Henriques’ absence, Daniel Hughes represented the Sydney Sixers for the toss in front of a sell out crowd at the Coffs Harbour. But the bat flip was won by the Adelaide Strikers captain Alex Carey who decide to bat first. The decision was expected since the Strikers lost their last chase, albeit by a small margin. However, Carey missed the fact how the Sixers have fared in chases.
Wait, where is this Coffs Harbour stadium? Isn’t SCG the home venue of the Sixers?
Well, the stadium that was host to the game between the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers is indeed one of the home venues for the Sixers side. It is situated in the coastal city of Coffs Harbour in New South Wales. While it was the only BBL game scheduled at this (small) ground, it sure did have a packed turn-out!
Since the Strikers batted first, did power-man Jake Weatherald fire again?
Ah, unfortunately, Jake had a rare bad day even though the start was exciting. He looked breezy at the beginning with a boundary in the first over and smashed a SIX and a four in the following one, only to fall prey to Jackson Bird in the final delivery of the same over. So the left-handed opener had to walk back with only 16 off 9.
So I heard Josh Hazlewood finally graced the stadium with his presence, but is he even a T20 player?
Well, Hazlewood’s addition to the Sixers squad and eventually to the playing XI of Sunday’s game was indeed a surprise, but the nature of it could be adjudged only through his performance, which was all class. And Hazlewood, making a BBL comeback after seven years, took his first BBL wicket in 2,160 days when he uprooted the stumps of Strikers skipper Alex Carey.
So Rashid Khan fired a stunning 18-ball 40 runs in the previous game, was he promoted up the order?
Ah, no, sadly he still batted at the number 8 position and only came in to bat in the penultimate over. It was Michael Neser, the new addition to the squad who came out to bat at 7. Rashid got only six deliveries to face towards the end but he sure did entertain in his little unbeaten cameo of 14 off 6.
Was the first innings interesting at all?
Well, yeah, to some extent. It had all the elements and flavouring required to make a T20 innings interesting. Irrespective of how much the Strikers scored in the end, 176/6 that is, the innings was spiced up with some good touch of sixes, precisely seven, but they failed to build on it. However, what was interesting was the spell of 18-1 by Hazlewood and the Sixers’ fielding that was all over the place. Besides, the controversial run-out of Matt Short, by Tom Curran and Philippe, was indeed entertaining.
How did the stand-in captain Daniel Hughes fare?
While Sixers captain Moises Henriques was away due to the pending birth of his first child, Daniel Hughes was named the captain. The No.3 batsman did indulge in a consolidating 51-run partnership with Josh Philippe but he could only manage a fairly decent 19-ball 24.
I’m always interested to know, did the young Josh Philippe standout?
Oh, yes! He is back. Ever since his 44-ball 81* in the opening game against the Perth Scorchers, eyes have been on the prodigy. With a Steve Smith-like face, the 22-year-old recreated the legend’s brilliance in Sunday’s BBL game. The Sixers opener was in it, the chase, relentlessly right from the start. He smashed a match-winning and unbeaten 52-ball 83, his highest BBL score, an innings that included four sixes and five fours.
When was it that the game turned around?
Well, it was basically the Toss when I had a feeling that Strikers would lose this one as well, given how the Sixers sealed a thrilling victory batting second against Thunder. But in the game, the Strikers could’ve made the difference if not for the extremely economical spell by Hazlewood in between. Also, between the 5th and 14th overs, only 41 runs were scored with the loss of two wickets. That was before Cameron White’s good over against Lloyd Pope and Jonathan Wells' fireworks.
Any takeaways from this game?
The Strikers have once again come short in terms of hitting at the BBL level. The total of 176/6 looked decent enough but the Test cricket show in between cost them the game. Moreover, Rashid Khan failed to do anything extraordinary with the ball. So there’s not much positive for the Strikers here. Probably Alex Carey should go back to his breezy style of batting. Whereas it was another great day for the Sixers batsmen and the return of Josh Philippe’s power-hitting form is nothing but more bright signs for their future in this BBL season.
So where do the two teams stand after the game?
Another day at BBL 09, another win for the Sixers and now they have five wins in seven games. With it, they still hold the second position, just one below the Melbourne Stars. Meanwhile, the Strikers have moved down one spot to No.4, pushing Thunder up to 3rd position.
