Bird’s four-for goes in vain as Hurricanes hand table-toppers Sixers big defeat

AAP

01-Jan-2025 • 36 mins ago

Hobart Hurricanes 161 for 6 (Chaudhary 42, McDermott 34, Owen 33, Bird 4-16) beat Sydney Sixers 111 (Henriques 22, Jordan 3-22, Stanlake 2-22, Salamkheil 2-22) by 50 runs

Hobart Hurricanes overcame the late withdrawal of captain Nathan Ellis to hand Sydney Sixers their first BBL loss of the season.

Ellis pulled out from Wednesday afternoon’s game at Ninja Stadium with illness, but his bowling team-mmates stood up against the table-topping Sixers.

Hurricanes posted 161 for 6 and bowled out Sydney for 111 in 19.3 overs to jump to fourth on the ladder with a third win in a row. Chris Jordan picked up 3 for 22, including the big wickets of James Vince (11) early and noted finisher Jordan Silk (20) in the middle overs. He was assisted by fellow import Waqar Salamkheil, who took 2 for 22 with his left-arm wristspin and bowled Kurtis Patterson with one that turned the other way.

Hobart allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary was impressive, top-scoring with 42 from 31 deliveries and picking up 1 for 15 with the ball.

Sixers, who stay in first place on the ladder, had won four from four prior to the match, while Hurricanes are on the rise after being flogged by Melbourne Renegades in their opening game.

Earlier, evergreen Sixers quick Jackson Bird took career-best T20 figures of 4 for 16 on familiar turf in Hobart after his side won the toss and elected to bowl.

Bird, the 38-year-old who played for Tasmania for more than a decade, removed big-hitters Matthew Wade, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott and Tim David.

Opener Mitchell Owen got Hurricanes off to a brisk start with 33 from 17 balls but couldn’t go on.

Returning from a calf injury, Wade was scratchy in a 16-ball 15 and became Bird’s first victim off a nifty caught and bowled.

Bird then had West Indian Hope caught behind two balls later as the Hurricanes lost three wickets within ten runs.

McDermott (34 from 25) came to life in the power surge, hitting 20 off one Hayden Kerr over, but he was undone by Bird, who also returned late to get rid of David via a top edge.

Sydney’s chase had a bright spark early when English opener Vince launched a Billy Stanlake delivery over the hill. But they wobbled to 28 for 3 inside the first five overs and couldn’t stem the flow of wickets.

Hurricanes spinner Peter Hatzoglou, who replaced Ellis and played his first game of the season, finished with 1 for 15.