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Thunder hit highest ever BBL score after Alex Hales crushes century in 46 run win over Sixers

The Sydney Thunder have rewritten the record books with a brilliant display of hitting on the back of one of the great innings' from Alex Hales.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
2 min read
January 22, 2021 - 6:36PM
Alex Hales was at his best.
Alex Hales was at his best.

The Sydney Thunder have turned around an ugly run of form to claim a 46-run win after hitting the biggest score in BBL history against the Sydney Sixers.

The Thunder came into the match having lost four of the last five matches but the second century of the season by Alex Hales saw the Thunder get a monster 5/232.

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It beat the previous record of 223 by the Hobart Hurricanes as Hales claimed his first ever BBL century.

The Englishman was in fine form as he took the golden hat for the highest run scorer for the season as he plundered 110 off just 56 balls with nine fours and eight sixes at the Adelaide Oval.

He joined the Strikers' Alex Carey in the BBL|10 century club, after the Adelaide star was the first to tally a ton this season just one night earlier.

Hales reached his century off just 51 balls.

Alex Hales has scored his first BBL ton.
Alex Hales has scored his first BBL ton.

But Fox Commentator Brendan Julian jumped the gun in a reminder of how difficult it is to call the game off a TV screen.

On 94, Hales got a juicy full toss and smacked it, looking to go big.

"Full toss, could it be?" Julian said. "Yes it's a hundred... no."

The commentary box erupted in laughter as Mark Waugh and Alyssa Healy stayed quiet.

"I thought he nailed that," Julian said after the ball fell just short of the Sixers' Carlos Brathwaite on the boundary.

Through laughter, Waugh said: "I'm with you BJ, off the stick I thought that was six."

The next ball was hit over the offside and away for four with Julian saying "what about this one? Could this be the hundred? It is."

Hales said the innings was in the "top five" innings he's had in his career.

"it's a massive win for us confidence-wise," he said. "The last few games haven't gone to plan so for us to put in a huge performance tonight, hopefully it shifts the momentum and we can get on a little roll now and make sure we qualify for finals."

After 18 overs, the Thunder were 3/204 and got over the top in the last over.

Ben Cutting also hit 33 off 14 balls in a helpful cameo as the Thunder.

While it's the biggest score in BBL history, the Thunder have actually now scored the three biggest scores in the club's history this year.

Needing just under 12 runs an over, the Sixers started brightly with Josh Philippe and James Vince getting off to a flyer.

But a mistake saw Philippe caught short for 20 off 11 balls and despite Vince scoring 38 off 23, Moises Henriques getting 56 off 35 and Jordan Silk getting 42 off 30, the side couldn't match the hitting of the Thunder.

Philippe was caught short and it was the beginning of the end for the Sixers.
Philippe was caught short and it was the beginning of the end for the Sixers.

The Sixers only managed two sixes for the entire innings compared to the Thunder's 15.

After 12 games, the Sixers are top of the ladder, while the win moves the Thunder back up to third on the ladder with just six points between third and seventh after the Scorchers wrapped up their spot in the finals earlier today.

Originally published as Thunder hit highest ever BBL score after Alex Hales crushes century in 46 run win over Sixers

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/big-bash-2021-sixers-vs-thunder-news-updates-results-scores/live-coverage/f9542445d4cbcf66c246e65a4e961111