The Sixers have been known for their strong defense in the BBL, consistently setting targets around 155 and restricting opposing teams at the SCG this season.
Leading up to Wednesday’s final, statistics revealed that the Sixers defended 77% of scores below 160 when batting first in the past five years, compared to the league-wide average of 32%.
Despite this, the Sixers chose to bowl first on Wednesday, finding themselves chasing 167 on a challenging pitch. Vice-captain Daniel Hughes explained that they believed it would be better to bat under the lights, but hindsight revealed a different perspective. Hughes mentioned the added complication of captain Moises Henriques testing positive for Covid on Monday, forcing him to stay away from the team during the match.
Hughes, who took on the toss responsibilities, expressed the importance of having the leader present. The disruption at the start of the game wasn’t seen as an excuse but acknowledged as less than ideal.
The Sixers’ loss marked the end of spinner Steve O’Keefe’s BBL career, finishing with 99 wickets after dismissing Heat’s opener Josh Brown for 53. O’Keefe, retiring at 39, confirmed he won’t be tempted to return for another season to reach the milestone of 100 wickets. Reflecting on his time with the Sixers, O’Keefe expressed pride in being part of the club’s success over 13 years and noted the magic of playing at the SCG, which he will miss as he moves to the NSW North Coast in the coming months.
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