‘Robbed’: Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques vents frustration with Big Bash rule changes

Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has exposed some issues with three rules that “completely changed” the Big Bash League.

Moises Henriques of the Sixers. Photo by Mark Metcalfe - CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Twelve months after Cricket Australia introduced a trio of radical rule changes for the Big Bash League, it’s clear there are still some teething problems.

The Bash Boost, Power Surge and X-Factor returned for the eleventh edition of the T20 tournament this season – despite some pundits questioning their value in the competition.

And during Saturday evening’s contest between the Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes at the SCG, a couple of minor flaws emerged.

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The Sixers run chase was interrupted in the fifth over by a brief rain delay, and following a Duckworth-Lewis calculation, the innings was reduced by two overs and 18 runs were taken off the target.

However, the Sixers’ Power Surge was cut in half – the men in pink were only allocated six deliveries to take advantage of the fielding restrictions, when the Hurricanes got a whole two overs during their innings.

Just catching up on the #BBL11

The Sixers have lost an over in their innings because of a rain delay, but the one over they've taken is one of their Power Surge overs.

That's doesn't seem right, they've lost an extra six balls with only two fielders out?

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) December 11, 2021

“Duckworth-Lewis wasn’t exactly kind to us,” Sixers captain Moises Henriques told News Corp reporters after the match.

“The Surge has completely changed the game. Last year, we saw how much it pumped the average score up.

“When the opposition team gets to use their full Surge and you don’t get to use yours, you do feel a little bit robbed. But I guess if we got two Surge overs … they’d probably feel like they were robbed a little bit as well.

“I still don’t see why you can’t have an over and then four balls in the next over that are under Surge rules, and just play two balls that aren’t. It would make more sense, and I think it would be more fair for all the teams.

“But they’re the rules, and we’ve got to play by them, and we’ve got to find a way to adapt and still win those game.”

Moises Henriques is currently the highest run-scorer of the 2021/22 Big Bash League. Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

During Saturday’s run chase, it was also revealed that the Bash Boost had been scrapped because of the 10-minute rain delay. Instead, the victorious side would be awarded four points on the BBL ladder regardless of their score at the 10-over mark.

Henriques claimed the Sixers were not informed of the Bash Boost change until the seventh over of the run chase.

“We didn’t get any sort of communication,” he explained. “I think some communication before we walk back out onto the field would be nice.

“With these new rule changes, there’s a little bit of a trial period, and I guess we’ve just got to go with the flow.”

Meanwhile, the reigning champions have rarely used the X-Factor since its introduction, preferring to stick with its starting XI for the game’s entirety.

Henriques said it was “difficult” to envision a situation in which the Sixers would need to substitute someone for an X-Factor player.

“We have a lot of fantastic cricketers sitting on the sideline unfortunately not getting an opportunity because of the strength of this side,” the 34-year-old said.

“Having said that, when we walk out onto the field with the 11 guys that we have, it’s quite difficult to ask one of them to sit down, because from a captain’s point of view, I have the full belief in every single person that walks onto the field.

“It’s really hard to try and take someone out of the game … it’s quite difficult for us to use that.”

Matthew Wade was Player of the Match on Saturday. Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

The Hurricanes secured a comfortable 44-run victory over the Sixers in front of 11,070 spectators in the New South Wales capital.

Hurricanes skipper Matthew Wade continued his impressive form in the game’s shortest format, cracking 94 off 46 balls in the first innings while opener partner D’Arcy Short smacked an unbeaten 73 off 51 deliveries.

In response, Sixers wicketkeeper Josh Philippe top-scored with 72 off 46 balls before Hurricanes seamer Joel Paris ended his knock in the 14th over.

Paris finished with figures of 3/35 from four overs, having also dismissed England international James Vince and veteran all-rounder Dan Christian.

“We actually thought at the halfway-mark that if we batted well, we could still get it,” Henriques said after the defeat.

“They were too good tonight. I thought they defended really well with the ball – they were quite clinical there.”

The Sixers will next face the Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Wednesday evening, with the first ball scheduled for 7.15pm AEDT.