Babar Azam’s difficult start to his BBL campaign continued as Adelaide Strikers produced a composed, all-round performance to defeat Sydney Sixers at the SCG, driven by standout contributions from Jamie Overton, Luke Wood and Liam Scott.
Overton set the tone with the ball, returning 2 for 22 from four overs to help hold Sixers to a below-par total on a surface that offered plenty for batters. He then played a crucial hand in the chase, striking a calm 30 from 20 balls as Strikers overhauled the 160-run target with four deliveries to spare — their first victory at the SCG since 2017.
Sent in to bat, Sixers again looked to Babar for early impetus after his 2 off five balls on debut against Perth. But the Pakistan star was unable to spark his innings, managing just 9 from 10 deliveries before pushing a hard-length ball from Wood tamely to midwicket, a dismissal that mirrored his exit in Perth.
Josh Philippe steadied the innings with a brisk 46 from 28 balls, but Sixers struggled to capitalise, repeatedly losing wickets at key moments. Overton, Wood and legspinner Lloyd Pope shared seven wickets between them, ensuring there was no sustained momentum.
Hasan Ali endured a difficult BBL debut, failing to settle on a length and finishing with 0 for 36 from his four overs. It continued a challenging start to the tournament for Pakistan’s contingent, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan also struggling to make an immediate impact.
Although the total looked light, Sixers are often adept at defending modest scores at home. Matt Short and Chris Lynn provided early fireworks, but both fell in successive overs towards the end of the powerplay, swinging momentum back Strikers’ way.
Liam Scott then anchored the chase with a fluent 51 from 32 balls, steering Adelaide through the middle overs. Regular breakthroughs — including a superb one-handed catch by Dan Hughes at short fine leg to remove Harry Nielsen — ensured the contest remained tight.
Overton held his nerve until falling with six runs required from seven balls, but Strikers showed no late nerves, closing out a polished opening win as Sixers slipped to 0-2 for the season.
Babar had hoped to respond on a truer SCG surface after struggling with bounce in Perth. He survived an early scare when a shy at the striker’s end narrowly missed the stumps before cracking his first BBL boundary through midwicket, drawing loud cheers from the magenta-clad supporters. His stay was brief, however, ending in the third over to the disappointment of the crowd.
Sixers initially recovered well from that setback. Philippe, fresh from international duty against India, looked in good touch early. Hasan Ali’s introduction brought further momentum for the hosts, though it began inauspiciously when Dan Hughes deposited a short ball over deep backward square leg.
Philippe appeared set for more before perishing on 46, lofting Pope to long-off. Pope struck again immediately, bowling Jordan Silk to underline his role as Strikers’ key wicket-taker in the middle overs.
Jack Edwards offered late resistance, but Sixers were unable to lift their total to a more competitive mark.
The match was preceded by a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Bondi terror attack, with heightened security in place at the SCG.
