Melbourne Stars were cruising at one point in the game but Sydney Sixers skipper Daniel Hughes stood tall to give his side a 1-wicket victory
Sydney Sixers have plundered the Melbourne Stars in a last-ball thriller at the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast as the men in magenta won by one wicket to make the wait of the audience at the Stadium till 1 AM worth it in the Big Bash League (BBL).
The Stars were cruising for majority of the game after the scratchy first half of their batting but it was the Sixers' skipper Daniel Hughes who stood tall amidst the chaos.
The Sixers-Stars rivalry only got better on the Saturday evening as the audience was enthralled with some exciting batting prowess on offer from both the teams.
After being on 49/4 in the 9th over, Stars skipper Glenn Maxwell and Nicholas Pooran had a party in the middle as the duo smashed every Sixers bowler out of the ground in a breathtaking exhibition of six-hitting.
Pooran hit eight, while Maxwell hit five of them as the duo stitched a quickfire 58-ball 125-run partnership to see the men in green's score go past 190.
This season hasn't seen many big run-chases as the sides have folded for paltry scores chasing down huge totals, trying to hit everything out of the park.
Sixers' innings too followed a similar suit at least at the start as they lost a couple of quick wickets. Wicket-keeper Josh Philippe and Hughes started the rebuliding process and just when they wanted to launch, Philippe was dismissed.
Sixers lost Jordan Silk in quick succession as their innings didn't look going anywhere. Dan Christian hit a couple of lusty blows before he too perished.
However, Hughes kept milking boundaries from the other end and kept the scorecard ticking. He found able allies in the two big West Indians, Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite as the duo hit a few sixes in their short stays to keep Sixers in the chase.
Hughes hit three sixes in the 18th over by Adam Zampa to bring the equation down to 23 runs required off the last two overs. However, the young speedster Liam Hatcher continued to have a dream BBL as he gave just three runs and picked two wickets to leave 20 runs in the last over for Sixers to chase.
Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was supposed to bowl the last over was on the sidelines due to some niggle and couldn't bowl the last over and Maxwell has to take the responsibility.
Hughes was upto the challenge as he smashed six, four and a six to bring the equation down to 4 needed off 3 balls, batting on 96. On the next ball, however, he holed out to the fielder on the leg side but gave his side the real chance.
Stars were one wicket away from the victory, while Sixers required a big shot. Maxwell bowled a toe-crusher, but Steve O'Keefe got a faint tickle off his bat and the ball raced away to the boundary as Sixers pulled off a thriller in Queensland.
While the Stars suffered their first loss if this edition, Sixers by the virtue of this win went to the top of the table with 12 points in four games.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Daniel Hughes")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}