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Crazy 'Superman' fielding grab stuns but Sixers blow chase against Hurricanes

The new rules of the BBL have been finally put to the test with one of the craziest pieces of fielding you'll ever see leaving the commentators jaws on the floor.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
2 min read
December 10, 2020 - 6:16PM
The Hurricanes have somehow snatched the win.
The Hurricanes have somehow snatched the win.

The Sydney Sixers have blown a golden opportunity against the Hobart Hurricanes, falling to a 16-run loss at Blundstone Arena in the opening game of the 2020/21 Big Bash League season.

It's a game the defending champions should never have been close to losing, having taken both Hurricanes openers in the first seven balls of the game.

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Hobart recovered to 8/178 on the back of Tim David's 33-ball 58, but the Sixers appeared to have the game in hand until falling away late. Earlier, Colin Ingram also got the Hurricanes going with 55 off 42 balls.

It was Australia's first taste of the three new BBL rules as well with the Power Surge, a two-over powerplay moved into the second half of the innings, the X-Factor, a substitute player being brought in after 10 overs into an innings, and the Bash Boost, an extra point given to the team leading after 10 overs, finally seen in action.

The Power Surge had a point of interest with 19 runs off the 15th over of the Hurricanes' innings.

After 14 overs, Hobart were 4/96, but the Power Surge saw four fours in the first five balls as Ingram and David went to work with just two men out of the circle.

The final ball only went for two but should have been a massive six, if not for Jordan Silk, who went full length over the boundary to save four runs.

"He flew like Superman to save four runs there," Adam Gilchrist said.

Mark Howard said: "That's remarkable what he's just done there."

Mark Waugh was stunned. "How has that not gone for six?"

Silk had to make plenty of ground to get to the ball.

"That would have been top three Big Bash catches ever if he didn't have to toss it back," Howard added.

On Channel 7, Ricky Ponting said: "That is magnificent fielding and has to be said that is one thing these guys practise almost every day now. Their boundary line awareness, where they are on the field, it is a practised skill and not many blokes do it better than that."

And the Sixers looked to be cruising on their way to a win despite the early wicket of Josh Philippe as Jack Edwards (47) and James Vince (67) combined for a 116-run stand before both men fell in the space of four balls.

From there Daniel Hughes (nine off 12 balls) and Silk with 13 off 12 came out ahead of Dan Christian and Carlos Braithwaite, leaving way too much work for the big hitters to do at the end of the innings.

The Hurricanes' death bowling was on point and with the Sixers needing 60 to win off the final six overs, they fell short by 16 runs.

The Sixers could only manage 6/162 as their title defence got off to a tough start.

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Sixers in a spot of bother

The Sixers looked to be cruising towards victory but the wickets of James Vince and Jack Edwards in quick succession with Sydney needing more than 10 an over for the last six an over.

It's set up an intriguing finish although the Sixers have left big hitters Dan Christian and Carlos Braithwaite on the bench still.

Sixers claim first point of the season

After passing the Hurricanes' 10 over score of 73 in 8.4 overs, the Sixers won the first Big Bash Boost point.

The Sixers were in cruise control with 1/99 off 11 overs, with James Vince on 52 off 30 balls and Jack Edwards on 44 not out off 33 balls.

Hurricanes hit back

The first Sixers wicket has already fallen with Josh Philippe already out with James Faulkner striking with an LBW in the first over.

It's just what Hobart needed and Faulkner gave a bit of a send off.

Singapore star saves Hurricanes

Singaporean-Australian batsman Tim David has made a name for himself on the opening day of the 2020/21 BBL, slamming 58 off 33 balls.

Hobart were struggling after losing the openers for ducks with the defending champs looking great to kick off the season.

But Colin Ingram's 42-ball 55 under presser and David blasted Hobart to 8/178 off the 20 overs in an incredible fight back.

Whether it will be enough remains to be seen.

Hurricanes hopes fall to Ingram

Colin Ingram has been playing a lone hand for Hobart.

The stumping of Peter Handscomb was a skilful piece of offspin bowling for Stephen O'Keefe but Mac Wright's wicket was special.

It was Dan Christian's first ball for the Sixers, with Wright smashing it out to Jordan Silk on the boundary, with the Sydney star sliding in to take the catch.

It was 4/96 off 14 overs.

Hurricanes hit back

2-4 after seven balls was not looking good for the Hurricanes but new skipper Peter Handscomb and Colin Ingram have come to the rescue.

After 7.3 overs, it's 2/56 as the pair hit their first sixes of the series.

It's beginning to look like a bit of a game.

Sixers right on top

The Sydney Sixers have dismissed the Hobart Hurricanes openers without troubling the scorers.

Import Will Jacks lasted two balls before he was sent back to the sheds after a leading edge off Ben Manenti in the first over of the game.

Ben Dwarshuis made it 2-4 to start the second over, getting D'Arcy Short for a golden duck.

Can't ask for a much better start to the season for the men in magenta.

'What?': BBL stunned by bizarre changes

The BBL rule changes have gotten all the coverage so far with uncertainty surrounding them.

But in a reminder the world is not the same as last season, the ball has been delivered for the first game – via drone.

The BBL social channels may have been playing it up a bit but even it seems a bit perplexed by the lengths the league is going to.

The new rules are:

— The Power Surge – Making the power play at the start of the innings just four overs, while batting teams can then pick a our over powerplay with only two players outside the ring in the second 10 overs.

— X-Factor – After the 10th over of each innings, teams will be able to substitute the 12th or 13th man on their team sheet into the game.

— Bash Boost – The team winning the game after 10 overs will get one point towards the standings, while the winning team will be awarded three points.

The players also took a knee before the first game with the Sydney Sixers releasing a statement that the club "strongly stand against racial injustice and persecution of any form" and would kneel before the first ball of each game.

Sixers win the toss and bowl

The Hobart Hurricanes will bat first as the BBL starts off.

Daniel Hughes will captain the Sixers with Henriques' absence, while Peter Handscomb will lead the Hurricanes on debut for the club.

'Down like flies': Ugly cricket curse

The BBL hasn't even started and already the Sydney Sixers title defence has taken a hit.

While Tom Curran pulled out of the tournament alongside the Heat's Tom Banton citing bubble fatigue, it's the injury to Moises Henriques that could be the most impactful.

Henriques has been a strong performer for Australia in the T20s against India.

Scans revealed Henriques has a low-grade hamstring strain, which will see him miss the first two games of the BBL season as well as the Australia A tour match against India.

But it continues a trend of soft tissue injuries many are putting down to biosecurity measures, particularly the bubbles.

Henriques is not alone with injuries with Jackson Bird, Ashton Agar, Aaron Finch, India's Ravindra Jadeja and David Warner all suffering injuries so far this summer.

Former Aussie spinner Bryce McGain said he believes it is the abnormal preparation that's doing the players in.

And with the BBL reverting to bubbles, with games grouped in the same city for short stints, he said hub life is contributing to the pain.

“A lot of these Australian cricketers, and particularly ones who have had busier workloads with the Australia T20 set-up, are suffering a lot of soft tissue injuries,” McGain said.
“News this morning of Moises Henriques, probably one of the better all-rounders, who probably hasn’t played as much as I suggest he should do for Australia.
“It sounds like he’s got a hamstring injury, so he joins a plethora of players on the sidelines unfortunately.
“Maybe hub life isn’t so good for cricketers, because they’re going down like flies.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/big-bash/going-down-like-flies-ugly-cricket-injury-curse-strikes-as-bbl10-kicks-off-with-hurricanes-vs-sixers/live-coverage/c5bbd1ba307fb27e3c427f421c5aed4c