‘Bowler’s graveyard’: Why Moises Henriques is a huge fan of SCG pitch after Sixers bow out of BBL finals
A spinning deck meant fans were robbed of seeing the ball fly into the stands, but Moises Henriques liked what he saw even though his side was beaten.
Sixers skipper Moises Henriques has defended the SCG surface after his side was bundled out of the BBL finals on a substandard pitch for such an important final that made life too tough for the batters.
The Sixers were restricted to 9/116 from their 20 overs, with the Heat sneaking home with 10 balls to spare thanks to a masterful knock by Michael Neser, who was the only batter who looked comfortable.
The quality of the SCG pitch has been an issue for much of the season, with Renegades skipper Nic Maddinson launching a scathing attack after his side lost a match earlier in the year.
“It was pretty sh*t, to be honest,” he said after that game.
“I thought it was one of the worst T20 wickets I’ve seen for a while, and it’s been a little bit like that all competition where we’ve had some pretty tricky wickets.”
Not a lot has improved since then with only Steve Smith making it look easy with a superb century in the Sydney Smash, and the gremlins returned on Thursday with the Sixers managing just seven boundaries in their innings.
It was a dream deck for the spinners, with Matthew Kuhnemann taking career-best figures of 3-17, and while it was a tough watch for the fans, Henriques had no issue with a pitch that he said was good for the game.
“It’s really good to play on these types of wickets. The best way to get well-rounded cricketers is to be challenged in different conditions,” he said.
“You see at Adelaide Oval and some other grounds like at the Gabba that it’s an absolute bowler’s graveyard, so it’s nice to tip the scales into the bowlers’ favour for a change and see which batters can use their brains to figure out a tough situation.
“These wickets are maybe not too dissimilar to what you might face in India or something like that with how low and slow it was and possibly taking a little more spin.
“When you get these unique conditions, it sometimes makes for really fun cricket to play because it’s so different to what we’re used to.
“You do have to be flexible and be able to adapt to what we’ve got. I think it’d be boring if they just rolled out the same wicket every week wherever you went.
“Typically, in years gone by at the SCG in Shield cricket, it’s been a bit of a spinning wicket, so it’d be nice to get back to that heritage where when you go around Australia, you (get some variety).”
The loss ends the Sixers’ run of three-straight grand finals and ruins any hopes they had of getting revenge on last year’s loss to the Scorchers.
The Sixers could have avoided Thursday’s match had they won in Perth last week, but instead they’ll have to watch the decider from home, with the Heat out to continue their giant-killing streak.
“We had two cracks at making the final, and unfortunately we weren’t good enough to take either of them,” Henriques said.
“It’s disappointing because I thought we had such a good year. I’m still really proud of what we were able to achieve throughout the season.”
SIXERS NIGHTMARE: HEAT PULL OFF EPIC BBL FINALS UPSET
They may have lost four of their most important players to Test duty, but in the end a snubbed spinner and a red-ball star saved the Heat’s blushes to continue their giant killing run to qualify for the BBL grand final.
A Heat side missing Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Swepson was supposed to have their season ended by the Sixers, but instead they are one win away from a second BBL title after surviving an almighty scare on a pitch that proved unplayable at times.
CHECK OUT ALL THE KEY MOMENTS AS THEY HAPPENED BELOW
The Sixers were without Steve Smith and had no hesitation batting first on Thursday night, but it proved to be a nightmare from the moment the shine went off the ball as they were restricted to just 9/116 from their 20 overs.
The home side managed just seven boundaries in their innings, with Josh Brown finally breaking the six drought with back-to-back maximums in the third over of the chase.
It looked like the Heat would canter to victory when they raced to 0/31, but a calamitous piece of running sparked an epic collapse of 5-25 as Sam Heazlett forgot to never run on a misfield.
But Michael Neser, who some thought should have been on the plane to India, saved the Heat from a choke of epic proportions with four boundaries in a row in the surge to see his side home by four wickets with 10 balls to spare.
SNUBBED SPINNER
Test selectors may have missed a trick by not picking Matthew Kuhnemann for the tour of India after he tore through the Sixers’ top order on a pitch that looks very similar to what we’ll see next week.
The left-arm tweaker was in the mix for the Test squad but selectors opted for the experienced Ashton Agar instead to end their drought in India.
Kuhnemann played like a man who had a point to prove, claiming 3-17 off his four overs to finish the night with his best ever T20 figures to help his side win its third finals match on the trot away from home.
He picked up the big wickets of Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes and Moises Henriques, with the Sixers skipper walking before the umpire had started to raise his finger after he was trapped in front.
The conditions in Perth for Saturday’s final will be much different but Kuhnemann could still weave his magic to inspire one more massive upset against the Scorchers.
PITCH IMPERFECT
Steve Smith and some of the Heat players must have thought they were watching an IPL match from their Indian hotel room given how low and slow the SCG deck was on Thursday night.
Fans expect to see runs galore at this time of year, but scoring was almost impossible on a pitch that has earned the ire of several players this season.
Both teams feasted when the ball was new, but as soon as the shine wore off, scoring became extremely difficult square of the wicket with the ball holding in the wicket.
It could be a concern going forward with the SCG pitch not conducive to T20 cricket this season, with Smith’s absurd century in the Sydney Smash suddenly looking like one for the ages.
A rousing round of applause for the retiring Dan Christian as he departs the SCG #BBL12#BBLFinalspic.twitter.com/iriJUwHO4g
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 2, 2023
NO FAIRYTALE FOR CHRISTIAN
One of the most storied T20 careers is over with Dan Christian’s time in the game officially over.
The 39-year-old played more than 400 matches around the world and won titles for fun – including three with three different BBL franchises – but he won’t add to that tally now that he’s officially retired.
The Sixers veteran came in with his side in all sorts of trouble and was unable to play one of his trademark plucky knocks through the middle with young gun Spencer Johnson (3-28) knocking him over in the power surge.
The SCG faithful rose as one as he walked from the field for the final time, with Christian not used with the ball as they tried to defend the impossible.
BIG MOMENTS AS THEY HAPPENED
10:10PM NESER GOES BANG
Just like that, another momentum swing.
Unlikely hero Michael Neser struck four consecutive boundaries in the power surge to swing the pendulum in the Heat’s favour.
9:49PM HEAT IN STRIFE
Woah, that escalated quickly...
The Heat are now five wickets down and while they only need a run a ball in the back-half of the innings, it’s not going to be easy on a wicket with plenty of gremlins.
The Sixers have worked their way back into the match with four wickets in the space of four overs, including two from Naveed.
9:25PM BAILS STAY ON
Ask McSweeney for this week’s lottery numbers.
The Heat batter was bowled by Sixers spinner Izharulhaq Naveed but the bails stayed on despite the Kookaburra clipping the off stump.
But Naveed had his man moments later, though, with the Heat all-rounder snicking off to Philippe who took a sharp catch.
It hit the stump 😮 #BBL12pic.twitter.com/c0LUFOXNRU
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) February 2, 2023
9:14PM HOWLER RUN OUT
Could this prove costly for the Heat?
Openers Josh Brown and inclusion Sam Heazlett got off to a flyer, racing to 31 from the first 3.3 overs chasing a small target, until a brain fade left Heazlett red-faced.
Brown dived in safely after a shot came in at the bowlers end.
But despite the ball going straight to a fielder at mid on, Heazlett took off for a run and was comfortably run out when a direct hit came in from paceman Ben Dwarshuis.
If at first you don't succeed. Try again🎯
— CODE Cricket (@codecricketau) February 2, 2023
â–¶ï¸ LIVE: https://t.co/OpAwt9QwS5#BBL12 | #SIXvHEA | @FoxCricket ðŸpic.twitter.com/CUVmcqeySJ
8:44PM HEAT CHASING 117
What a bowling effort from the Heat!
The visitors need less than a run-a-ball to join the Scorchers in the BBL final.
Spencer Johnson, who had bowled well without much luck in his breakout BBL campaign, was the star of the show, striking when his side needed it most with 3/28.
Spinner Matt Kuhnemann also claimed three wickets for just 17, while Michael Neser finished with 2/28.
8:35PM SIXERS CRUMBLING
Is a shock Heat upset on the way?
The Sixers have slumped to 7/98 with two overs remaining after Spencer Johnson (3/28) and Michael Neser each took wickets and kept it tight in the power surge. Just one Sixers batter has passed 20 in a disappointing display from the men in pink so far, albeit on a tough batting pitch.
8:10PM SPIN TO WIN
Nathan McSweeney was unlucky to be dropped after a stunning cameo with the bat earlier in the season, and he has shown his worth with the ball.
Among the inclusions for the Heat’s departed Test stars, McSweeney took the wicket of Jordan Silk to finish his miserly four overs, finishing with 1/21.
Fellow spinner Matt Kuhnemann is also on fire, claiming his third wicket the the next over, with a delivery that kept extremely low and went under Daniel Hughes’ bat.
It leaves the Sixers in trouble at 5/76 from 13.
"That is as plumb as you'll ever see"
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 2, 2023
Moises didn't even hang around to see the finger go up 😬 #BBL12#BBLFinalspic.twitter.com/2YdPTRwWPf
8:00PM SIXERS 3 DOWN
This pitch doesn’t look too easy to bat on.
The Sixers managed to reach 36 in the powerplay but scored just 24 runs in the next six overs and lost a further two wickets, restricted to 3/61 at the halfway point.
7:45PM DRS DRAMA
Confusion reigned at the SCG after a review for LBW from the Heat was found to have brushed Josh Philippe’s glove and into the midrift of keeper Jimmy Peirson.
The third umpire initially gave the decision not out after the review, which showed a spike on ultra edge from Philippe.
But despite the ball being caught by Peirson, the third umpire told the on-field umpire to stick with his original decision of not out.
Further replays were looked that and the umpire — eventually — gave Philippe out.
What a review from Brisbane!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 2, 2023
The lbw was ruled out due to a little spike - but Jimmy Peirson held the catch! #BBL12pic.twitter.com/jifHTMorW3
7:29PM SPENCER STRIKES
Spencer Johnson has claimed the wicket of Kurtis Patterson who was looking good out there, which the rising quick marked with a big first pump. A couple of boundaries sees the Sixers reach 1/36 at the powerplay.
Spencer Johnson 😤
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 2, 2023
First wicket-taker for the @heatBBL goes to the exciting young quick #BBL12#BBLFinalspic.twitter.com/NORnJmLNk6
7:19PM NINE OFF THE FIRST
A cracking cover drive from Kurtis Patterson gets the Sixers rolling. 0.9 off the first over from Michael Neser.
IS SCORCHERS, SIXERS DOMINANCE BAD FOR THE BBL?
Ben Horne
Big Bash organisers are being forced to analyse the remarkable dominance of the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers and ponder the question – are they too good?
Even if Brisbane Heat continues its hot streak in Thursday’s elimination final, it doesn’t change the fact that the Scorchers and Sixers are leagues ahead of their rivals when it comes to consistent performance.
If it was a four-team playoff series — as many feel it should be — the Heat would have missed the cut.
Sydney Thunder was bowled out for 15 during the season, yet finished fourth in perhaps the most vivid illustration of the gulf that exists between the best and the rest.
The Scorchers have won four Big Bash titles, the Sixers three, and then it’s just one each for the Heat, Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Strikers and the Melbourne Renegades — down to duck eggs for both Hobart and the Melbourne Stars.
Perth in particular, with a sold out crowd of 50,000 expected for Saturday’s final at Optus Stadium, represents the BBL’s greatest success story and, at the same time, its biggest headache.
“Every league in any sport is underpinned by a sense of competitive balance and the notion that any team could win at the start of any season,” Cricket Australia’s Big Bash manager Alistair Dobson told News Corp.
“We have a couple of clubs that have been phenomenal in their consistency and record over 12 years. They should be commended for that and from our perspective every other club can continue to aspire to be as successful as those particular teams.
“And at the same time we’d love to see next year all eight teams enter the season with genuine hope of winning it. Because that’s how you get fans interested and involved in the competition.”
The Big Bash League has smashed previous records for the Foxtel Group with this summer’s tournament viewership spiking to almost a quarter of a million per game.
In a watershed moment for Fox Cricket after serious questions about the future and appeal of BBL with viewers, this summer’s 33 per cent year on year increase in overall ratings to 248,000 per game across Foxtel, Fox Now, Foxtel Go and Kayo Sports shows the popularity of domestic T20 has never been higher.
Streaming has seen the biggest growth, with a 52 per cent viewership increase as audiences adapt to consuming on mobile phones or other devices.
The innovation led by Fox Cricket general manager Matt Weiss has seen current players like David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Alyssa Healy among a host of big names join a commentary rotation that has elevated coverage to the next level with on-field interviews and player access.
“This has been the best BBL season to date and a lot of credit goes to our hard-working commentators and Fox Cricket production team who continue to innovate and lead the way in sports broadcasting,” Weiss said.
“It’s been a huge summer of cricket and we’re not done yet. The remaining two BBL finals
are going to be absolute blockbusters and then we have exclusive coverage of the
Australian Men’s tour of India and a Women’s T20 World Cup to defend in South Africa.”
But next summer there will be no Test players riding in like white knights to give the competition an uplift midway through the tournament because there are Test matches scheduled through January.
WILL THE BIG BASH MOVE TO A DOMESTIC PLAYER DRAFT?
What Big Bash bosses must get to the bottom of first and foremost is how much can the Scorchers’ and Sixers’ dominance be attributed to a discrepancy in talent, and how much of it is because they’re simply better run.
Western Australia is the premier organisation in state cricket at the moment. Brilliantly run by CEO Christina Matthews and well coached by Warriors and Scorchers coach Adam Voges. But the Scorchers are undoubtedly also benefiting from the fact the WA system is producing more Australian-ready players than anyone else.
The opposite is happening in South Australia, where the Redbacks’ chronic struggles are not helping the Adelaide Strikers (seventh this season).
It is why there is serious consideration being given to a domestic player Big Bash draft – to try and shake up the playing pool and create more separation between state squads and their BBL lists.
“The BBL was founded on really important principles that while the BBL teams are essentially managed and run by state associations, it’s an independent franchise competition where clubs are recruiting players from all around the country, not necessarily aligned to their own state programs,” Dobson said.
“I think across the board the comp has been really successful at moving players around the country to play for the teams they want. Whether there’s new mechanisms to help enable that, that’s obviously the discussion we’re having and there’s lots of different options.
“Inherently, players moving around competitions is healthy for the comp because it’s another way of helping drive competitive balance in the teams as long as it’s done in a way that players and clubs have all got options.”
The Sixers have managed to maintain their success, despite NSW Cricket underperforming for many years now as a talent nursery – which is an even bigger problem for the Australian game.
Perhaps it’s due largely to the culture and structures cultivated by leaders Greg Shipperd and Moises Henriques, who have harnessed the right formula for T20 franchise success, when other teams, like Hobart and the Stars, have not.
WILL THERE BE FEWER BIG BASH MATCHES NEXT YEAR?
Nothing has been finalised yet but it appears inevitable that the Big Bash will reduce from 61 games to 43 games next year – a season ahead of the new TV rights deal kicking in.
“I think there’s a level of interest around reducing the games for next season, but there’s a bit of water to go under the bridge,” Dobson said.
WOULD TEST PLAYERS ENTER A DRAFT?
Nothing is off the table, but it’s more likely Test players would be aligned with whichever team they’d prefer to play for, rather than being forced to relocate.
However, it may have to be within reason given the Sixers could have Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all running out for them if the planets aligned.
Organisers are more concerned with creating a mechanism that allows Test players to easily fit onto lists if they become available at the last moment.
“The best model for us probably sees them staying at those teams, but in a way that again underpins that competitive balance so the system is flexible enough to allow them to play in a way that has transparency and everyone can be on an equal competitive footing,” Dobson said.
WILL MAXWELL AND ZAMPA BE LOOKED AFTER LIKE SMITH AND WARNER HAVE?
There have been plenty of noses out of joint this year at the way Cricket Australia has splurged cash on overseas stars and made special arrangements for Smith and Warner – but not done the same for its more consistent white ball stars like Maxwell, Zampa and Marcus Stoinis.
That will change with the salary cap set for a major increase.
“It’s a big part of the work we’re doing around what the future contracting model and salary cap looks like, which means those players should be appropriately rewarded and remunerated for playing,” Dobson said.
“We’re pretty confident that will be the case with the new MOU.
“One thing we are aligned with the ACA on in particular is the need for the BBL and WBBL to be competitive globally. That’s a combination of the amount of money we pay and the contracting mechanisms that are in place.”
WILL FINES FOR PLAYERS MAKING ON-AIR GAFFES BE REVIEWED?
“I think like any season we’ll sit down at the end of the year with our players, broadcasters, match officials and key stakeholders and review the season, and there will be feedback across the board on that,” Dobson said.
“We hear all that feedback loud and clear from everyone and the players are really generous with their time, and in an elite professional environment to have them talking about the game adds so much to the viewers and fans.
“It’s important players feel like they can do that and are comfortable doing that. That said, equally, we’re mindful of our audience and making sure the game presents in a way that’s appropriate.”
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