SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Former West Indies Twenty20 skipper Carlos Brathwaite had little impact but his Sydney Sixers were rewarded for their consistency throughout the season as they beat Perth Scorchers by 27 runs to win the Big Bash League title here yesterday.
Playing in the final at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sixers piled up 188 for six off their 20 overs, with England batsman James Vince the standout batsman with 95 off 60 deliveries.
He punched 10 fours and three sixes, adding 38 for the second wicket with Daniel Hughes (13), another 48 for the third wicket with captain Moises Henriques (18) and 37 for the fifth wicket with Daniel Christian (20).
Brathwaite entered at the end of the 19th over and faced the entire last over, blasting two fours in scoring 10 before holing out in the deep off the last ball from fast bowler Jhye Richardson (2-45).
In reply, Scorchers looked a good bet at 116 for three in the 15th over but fell away at the back end after losing a plethora of wickets to finish on 161 for nine.
Liam Livingstone top-scored with 45 off 35 balls with three fours and a couple of sixes, in a 45-run, first wicket stand off 29 deliveries with Cameron Bancroft who struck 30 from 19 balls.
When the innings slipped to 56 for two, Livingstone put on a further 39 for the third wicket with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (22), before becoming one of three wickets to tumble for 22 runs.
Aaron Hardie smashed a 13-ball 26 down the order but was the last of seamer Ben Dwarshuis’s three wickets in the 19th over and with 30 runs needed off the last over, medium pacer Christian picked up his two wickets to guarantee the Sixers back-to-back titles.
Brathwaite played the full season for Sixers, claiming 16 wickets at an average of 24 and an economy rate of eight.
