Hobart Hurricanes 161 for 6 (Chaudhary 42, McDermott 34, Owen 33, Bird 4-16) won Sydney Sixers 111 (Henriques 22, Jordan 3-22, Stanlake 2-22, Salamkheil 2-22) by 50 runs
Hobart Hurricanes overcame captain Nathan Ellis’ late withdrawal to hand the Sydney Sixers their first BBL defeat of the season.
Ellis withdrew from Wednesday afternoon’s match at Ninja Stadium due to illness, but his bowling partners took on the table-topping Sixers.
The Hurricanes scored 161 for 6 and bowled out Sydney for 111 in 19.3 overs to jump to fourth place in the standings with a third successive win. Chris Jordan took 3 for 22, including big wickets from James Vince early on and outstanding finisher Jordan Silk in the middle. He was assisted by fellow import Waqar Salamkheil, who took 2 for 22 with his left-arm wrist spin and bowled Kurtis Patterson with one that turned the other way.
All-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary was impressive, leading scorer with 42 off 31 deliveries and hitting 1 out of 15 with the ball.
The Sixers, who remain top of the standings, had won four out of four going into the match, while the Hurricanes are on the rise after being beaten by the Melbourne Renegades in their first game.
Earlier, Evergreen Sixers quick Jackson Bird posted career-best T20 figures of 4 for 16 on a familiar turf in Hobart after his team won the toss and elected to bowl.
Bird, 38, who played for Tasmania for more than a decade, removed big hitters Matthew Wade, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott and Tim David.
Opener Mitchell Owen got the Hurricanes off to a good start with 33 off 17 balls but could not continue.
Returning from a calf injury, Wade was irritated in a 15 off 16 balls and became Bird’s first victim in a clever catch and bowler. Bird then caught West Indian Hope behind two balls later as the Hurricanes lost three wickets for ten runs.
McDermott (34 off 25) came to life in the power surge, hitting 20 off a Hayden Kerr over, but he was undone by Bird, who also returned late to get rid of David through a top edge.
The Sixers’ chase had a bright spark early on when England opener Vince flicked Billy Stanlake’s delivery over the hill. But they faltered to 28 for 3 inside the first five overs and could not stem the flow of wickets.
Hurricanes spinner Peter Hatzoglou, who replaced Ellis and played his first game of the season, finished 1 for 15.
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