NSW Premier Cricket: BBL big guns light up Sydney T20 comp before finals

The ball flew to all parts as several BBL master blasters delivered in the final rounds of Sydney’s premier T20 competition. See who hit the lights out and who made the finals.

NSW and BBL star Matthew Gilkes has been in menacing T20 form for UNSW. (Photo by Izhar Khan/Getty Images)

It was all guns blazing for a trio of BBL stars in the latest rounds of NSW Premier Cricket.

Ahead of the opening round of BBL|14 in December, Sydney Sixers regular Josh Philippe ramped up preparations with 10 maximums in an unbeaten 110 to propel Western Suburbs to the Kingsgrove Sports T20 finals.

With the final three preliminary rounds played on Saturday and Sunday, all 20 Sydney clubs took aim at finishing among the top 12 finalists.

In pursuit of UNSW’s 9/149, Philippe rocked the Bees attack in a 49-ball masterclass that saw Wests cruise home inside 13 overs.

Earlier on, Sydney Thunder’s Matthew Gilkes smashed 66 off 35 for UNSW. The 25-year-old left-hander maintained the rage on Saturday afternoon against Sydney University, delivering a swashbuckling 80 off 38 in his side’s only win of the preliminary rounds.

At Hurstville, Kurtis Patterson carried his bat with 95 not out as St George set Northern District a target of 3/194. The Sixers leftie cleared the pickets on six occasions, but it wasn’t enough as Corey Miller continued his side’s unbeaten run to the finals, finishing 77 not out from just 36 balls in the five-wicket win.

Fairfield-Liverpool extended their season at the expense of Mosman. Young quick Yuva Nishchay (4-15) restricted the home side to 7/143, before opener Nick Carruthers saw the Lions to victory inside 12 overs, blasting 88 from 34 deliveries that included eight fours and seven sixes.

UTS North Sydney enter the finals with a perfect four-from-four record. James Greenslade cracked 65 off 41 against Wests, while Timothy Reynolds (54* off 31) and James Moore (52 off 35) combined to help end Blacktown’s campaign.

With 86 off 64 balls, Dave Dubey’s knock for Penrith wasn’t enough as Sutherland held on to win by five runs after Adam Whatley starred with 72 from 47.

Wests recruit Josh Philippe during a clash for NSW at Cricket Central during September. Photo by Izhar Khan/Getty Images

Teenage Campbelltown Camden recruit Jake Scott continued his hot form, guiding the Ghosts to the finals with an unbeaten 69 from 39 balls at Manly Oval.

With the preliminaries now out of the way, the action fires up again on October 13 where the 12 finalists will chase a spot in the following week’s grand final at North Sydney Oval.

Kingsgrove T20 finalists, Sunday, October 13

Pool A: Campbelltown Camden, Fairfield-Liverpool, Eastern Suburbs

Pool B: UTS North Sydney, Sydney University, Western Suburbs

Pool C: Parramatta, Penrith, Sutherland

Pool D: Northern District, Bankstown, St George