Jordan Silk takes two brilliant catches for the Sydney Sixers

Taking chances in the field proved the difference between the Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers in the BBL as Jordan Silk proved why he’s the best fielder in the competition. SEE HIS RIPPING CATCH.

The Brisbane Heat will be left to wonder if things could have ended differently against the Sydney Sixers had experienced campaigners Paul Walter and Colin Munro taken care of Josh Philippe (68 not out), who should have been out for three runs.

A confused Walter and Munro couldn’t decide on who should take a skied shot which rocketed into the air during Xavier Bartlett’s opening spell. The ball landed in no man’s land.

It was a costly mistake which would have had Sydney 2-16 after 2.4 overs and on the back foot.

At the six over mark, the Sixers were flying at 1-50. With seven overs left, Sydney needed less than 20 runs and opening batter Filippe was the anchor in telling partnerships alongside both Kurtis Patterson (32) and his captain Moises Henriques (26 not out).

The Brisbane Heat were brought back down to earth after the unbeaten Sixers handed them their second straight loss in front of 30,122 fans at a packed out Gabba, without needing to take their power surge.

In a seesawing rematch of last year’s BBL grand final, fielding played the biggest part in Sydney’s comprehensive eight-wicket win where they were in control from the first ball.

Ben Dwarshius (4-32) and Josh Filippe (68, 42 balls) were big time players as well.

On one side of the fence, competition leaders Sydney put on a fielding masterclass that featured two ripping catches by none other than Jordan Silk.

For the Heat, who struggled to entertain the biggest home turnout since BBL08, a fielding blunder in the third over was the turning point after posting just 138 runs.

It was a stark contrast to Matt Renshaw’s diving catch from first slip that dismissed James Vince for 10 in Bartlett’s first over. At that moment, a win looked possible for the boys in teal.

Josh Philippe was back to his best with the bat for the Sixers. Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

SILK OR SUPERMAN IN THE FIELD?

Jordan Silk strengthened his case as the BBL’s most prolific fieldsman ever when he added two more fantastic catches to his hefty highlight tape in Sunday night’s heavyweight bout at the Gabba.

Silk sent first drop batter Colin Munro and opener Jimmy Peirson back to the pavilion with a pair of special outfield catches from deep mid wicket to begin the hurt inflicted by an on-song Sydney Sixers bowling attack. Ben Dwarshius’ change of pace yielded three wickets, while left-arm fast Hayden Kerr and spinner Todd Murphy each snared two wickets.

The visitors sent Brisbane into bat first and after Silk had his say with two diving catches in the deep, Brisbane’s middle order crumbled to 5-81 after 13.1 overs and 9-138 after 20.

“I just want to try and take difficult catches at training because it makes me feel calm out there,” Silk told Channel 7 post-game.

The top order of Munro (nine), Matt Renshaw (one) and Max Bryant (two) were all dismissed for next to nothing as Brisbane limped into the break with Nathan McSweeney (34, 29 balls) the best challenger before taillender Mitch Swepson swatted away a six and four on the final two balls.

Sydney’s clinical fielding effort, which featured just one dropped catch and no misfields, was highlighted by Silk’s sensational, acrobatic catch that dismissed Peirson for 24 in the 12th over.

“No one else catches that,” Mark Waugh concluded in commentary.

“He is unbelievable. What a player,” Mike Hussey said of Silk, who has taken the most catches by any player (82) in the competition’s 14-year history.

Jordan silk catch

MCSWEENEY STILL IN GOOD TOUCH

In the space of a week, Australians went from thinking axed Test opener Nathan McSweeney was unlucky to doing cartwheels over teenage prodigy Sam Konstas after he scored 60 runs in his first knock opening the batting in the Boxing Day Test against India.

One thing has remained the same and that is the class of McSweeney, who produced another innings that insisted he must not be forgotten.

After delivering a match-defining 78 not out in Brisbane’s last game at the Gabba, McSweeney top scored again for his side with 34 (29 balls).

He belted two sixes as a No.4, perhaps the place he is bidding for entry into the Test side as, rather than as a makeshift opener.

Aggressive opener Tom Banton (19, 12 balls), who smacked a switch-hit six on just his second ball, Peirson, big Paul Walter (22, 18 balls) and Swepson (11, four balls) contributed towards the 138.

The average first innings score at the Gabba over the past 10 games was 178 runs.

Originally published as Jordan Silk takes two brilliant catches for the Sydney Sixers