Nathan Lyons roars Sydney Sixers smash Melbourne Stars by eight wickets at the MCG
THE Sydney Sixers are making the most of their fashionably late arrival to the Big Bash, embarrassing Kevin Pietersen and his Melbourne Stars by eight wickets in their own backyard.
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GLAMOUR boys the Sydney Sixers are making the most of their fashionably late arrival to the Big Bash.
And the coolest cat right now is Nathan Lyon who finished with three wickets to embarrass Kevin Pietersen and his Melbourne (Fallen) Stars by eight wickets in their own backyard.
Nic Maddinson smacked 62 off 31 balls as he combined with fellow leftie Daniel Hughes for a brilliant 92-run second-wicket stand to ensure the Sixers cruised to the 129 runs required for victory.
Maddinson has threatened a knock like that all tournament.
They did it with 29 balls to spare.
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The damage had already been done earlier by Lyon. You have to wonder why this bloke isn’t in the Australian one-day team.
After he played a huge role in Australia’s Ashes triumph, Lyon’s return to the Sixers has given the men in magenta a late burst of life.
Losing all six of their games before the spinner’s arrival, the Sixers have now made it two on the trot — and can now ruin the Brisbane Heat’s finals hopes on Thursday night at the SCG.
Lyon was on a hat trick after he removed danger man Pietersen and Ben Dunk in his first over, and eventually sent Peter Handscomb packing after he was earlier dropped.
His 3-18 did not do him justice considering his final over went for eight runs.
“I’m pretty happy with the way the ball came out and I was able to take a couple of wickets and put the Stars on the back foot,’’ Lyon said.
As for wearing the magenta — not the green and gold for Australia in the 50-over series against the Poms — Lyon said: “I definitely want to play every form of cricket for Australia.
“I need to keep going out there and keep performing to the best of my ability.’’
Pressed on why selectors snubbed him from the one-day team, Lyon shrugged and said: “I don’t know, ask the selectors. I have no idea.’’
Sixers fans will be happy the selectors have got it wrong.
The 30-year-old is enjoying such a hot run this summer, his last loss was more than 100 days ago in a JLT Cup game for NSW.
Pietersen blamed the MCG pitch, which had played second guessing themselves and was ‘’was not great for a Twenty20 spectacle’’.
It was good enough for Maddinson who brought up his half-century off just 23 balls. His knock featured six boundaries and five sixes.
Lyon said Maddinson deserved the man of the match, not him, and ‘’the way he took the game on, those small targets can be hard to chase down in the shorter format, but the way he went out and played his natural game and big shots, it broke the back of the Stars.’’
Hughes was also great, building on his unbeaten 66 in the weekend win over the Thunder with 49 not out off 46 balls.