Following a disappointing debut, star batter Babar Azam returned to form on Thursday, leading Sydney Sixers to victory over Melbourne Renegades with his unbeaten 58 runs in the 18th match of the Big Bash League 15 (BBL) in Australia’s Docklands stadium.
Batting first, the Renegades were restricted to 164-9 in their 20 overs, thanks to an exceptional cameo from opening batter Josh Brown, who scored 43 off 19 deliveries, including three fours and four sixes.
Middle-order batter Jake Fraser-McGurk contributed a sensible 38 off 29 balls with four boundaries, while Hassan Khan added 39 off 29 deliveries, featuring one four and three sixes.
Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan’s struggles in the tournament continued as he was dismissed cheaply for six off 10 balls.
For the Sixers, Sean Abbott spearheaded the bowling attack, claiming three wickets for 16 runs in four overs. Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, and Hayden Kerr supported well, picking up two wickets each.
Chasing 165, the Sydney Sixers reached the target in 19.1 overs, losing four wickets. Babar Azam anchored the innings with a balanced unbeaten 58 off 46 deliveries, which included four boundaries and a six.
Opening batter Daniel Hughes also impressed with 30 off 23 balls, including two fours and a six, while Joel Davies played a crucial unbeaten cameo of 34 off 15 balls, featuring three fours and two sixes.
The victory propels the Sydney Sixers to sixth place on the BBL 15 points table, with two wins and three defeats from five games, accumulating four points with a net run-rate of 0.202.
Melbourne Renegades remain seventh with one win and three losses from four games, holding two points and a net run-rate of -0.879.
