Big Bash League: In-form Sixers see off winless Renegades

Melbourne, Jan 2: James Vince made a big impact on his return as the in-form Sydney Sixers denied Melbourne Renegades a first Big Bash League victory with a six-wicket win on Thursday.

A new year did not bring about a change of fortune for defending champions the Renegades, who paid the price for a lack of runs at Marvel Stadium.

Lloyd Pope (2-22) and Jackson Bird (2-24) excelled with the ball to restrict the Renegades to 153-6 after they were 69-1 in the eight over, Sam Harper top scoring with 45 off only 24 balls and Shaun Marsh making 40.

The Sixers followed up their dramatic Sydney Smash Super Over triumph by extending their winning run to three matches, Tom Curran hitting the winning run off the penultimate ball of the match.

Vince struck 41 from just 26 deliveries on his return from an elbow injury, while Dan Hughes (40) and Jordan Silk (36 not out) also made significant contributions as the Sixers moved up to second place despite the absence of Sean Abbott (side strain).

POPE PREYS ON RENEGADES FLAWS

The Renegades were going along nicely on 65-1 after seven overs when Pope came into the attack and the spinner put the squeeze on to frustrate the champions.

Pope removed Harris with a googly in his second over, which cost only four runs, and the flame-haired tweaker trapped Beau Webster (17) lbw in his final over to put the Renegades on the back foot.

Dan Christian (32no from 17) set about the expensive Curran, who went for 58 from his four overs, but Melbourne were well short of a daunting total.

PHILIPPE AND HUGHES GET SIXERS OFF TO FLYER

Josh Philippe made a statement by clattering the first ball of the run chase from Webster for six and had a stroke of luck when he was dropped by Christian.

The impressive Tom Andrews somehow cleaned up Philippe (33) with a first ball that should have been hammered into the crowd, but not before the wicketkeeper-batsman and Hughes had put on 70 for the first wicket.

Cameron Boyce and Andrews (2-22) gave the Renegades hope by dismissing Hughes and Moises Henriques respectively to leave the Sixers 80-3 in the 12th.

VINCE AND SILK DELIVER WITH DECISIVE STAND

The Sixers needed 54 from the last six overs after Boyce conceded only six runs off the 14th, but Vince and Silk chipped away at the target with a fourth-wicket stand of 57.

Vince launched a leg break from Boyce for six, but was bowled nine short of a half-century attempting to put the next ball in the same spot.

Silk passed 1,000 Big Bash runs and dispatched the otherwise-economical Kane Richardson over extra cover for six in the penultimate over, then struck the second delivery of the final over from Richard Gleeson over the rope, leaving Curran to hit the winning run with a ball to spare.