Sydney Sixers Advance, One Step Closer to BBL Final After Defeating Brisbane Heat

Big guns Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith fired the Sydney Sixers to a five-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat and one win away from the BBL final. Sixers allrounder Sam Curran also starred with his 2-37 and superb 53 not out off 27 deliveries in the run chase. The Sixers, who have finished second on the ladder, now head west to play Perth Scorchers on Tuesday night in the BBL qualifier with the winner to host Sunday's final. In contrast, the Heat won't play in the finals after losing their first match of the season at home. Starc (4-35) was playing just his 12th BBL game and returned his career-best figures after the Sixers bowled first and restricted the Heat to 9-171. The Sixers reached 5-177 off 18.4 overs. A cameo by allrounder Michael Neser (35 off 14) gave the hosts the impetus to post a competitive total. Heat No.3 Nathan McSweeney held the innings together while wickets fell around him before upping the ante in a mature and unbeaten 69 off 54 deliveries. In reply, opener Smith - fresh from his blazing century against Sydney Thunder two days earlier - made 54 off 40 before he was bowled by Heat speedster Zaman Khan, who had troubled him more than any other bowler. Khan and Xavier Bartlett bowled superbly in the power surge, where the Sixers scored 13 runs for the loss of Smith. There was high drama when Neser missed all three stumps to run out Curran and then dropped Lachlan Shaw in the 17th over. The Sixers needed a daunting 28 off the last three overs but Curran unleashed to secure victory with eight balls remaining. Smith lost opening partner Babar Azam (1) early in the chase. The Pakistani was unhappy two days earlier against Sydney Thunder when Smith knocked back a single so he could keep the strike for the power surge, from which he took 32 runs. But in the field at the Gabba, Smith dropped what would have been a cracking catch at gully and Babar ran across and gave him an encouraging tap on the back and a few words of support. Starc's extraordinary record at picking up a wicket in his first over continued when Jack Wildermuth (1) spliced a full toss to cover. The BBL's leading wicket taker Sean Abbott earlier dismissed skipper Usman Khawaja (11) in his first over. It was Starc's pace, regularly over 140 km/hr, that caused all the trouble. In-form Matt Renshaw was soon out without scoring after a scorching outswinger caught the edge and the Heat were in dire straits at 3-18. Starc couldn't believe his luck when Jimmy Peirson also poked a full toss on off stump straight to cover from the first ball of the power surge. Neser got his eye in for two deliveries and then carted Starc for three consecutive boundaries. He took a shining to Jack Edwards in the next over with two sixes over long on and a slashed four over cover to breath some life into the Heat innings with the busy McSweeney.