Sixers strangle Renegades in low-scoring affair
Sydney Sixers produced a superb bowling display to earn victory by 33 runs and condemn Melbourne Renegades to a first defeat of the Big Bash season.
The Renegades came into Saturday's meeting at Docklands Stadium having won their first two matches in 2018-19, but they were stifled by the Sixers, who had only managed 132-7 on a slow pitch.
Jordan Silk's 30 - from 33 balls and without a boundary - proved the highest score in that innings, but no Renegades batsman could manage anything more substantial in the chase.
Debutant Mackenzie Harvey made 30 from 25 at the top of the order, but a superb all-round effort, including 3-18 from Tom Curran and Sean Abbott's 2-16, meant the Renegades could only muster 99-9 as Sixers earned a second win in four.
SIXERS WIN!
Remarkable effort with the ball sees us secure a superb 33-run victory over @RenegadesBBL at Marvel Stadium!
And boy doesn't it feel good!#smashemsixers #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/g9K6pez1Uv
— Sydney Sixers (@SixersBBL) 29 December 2018
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DWARSHUIS TAKES SOME EARLY HAMMER
The Sixers managed just five fours in their innings, and they must have been fearing the worst when the Renegades equalled that tally inside three overs of the reply.
Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis was the man to concede all of those, as Harvey and Tim Ludeman got the hosts off to a flier. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for the Renegades.
The Renegades are in all sorts of trouble here. They've hit ZERO fours (and just one six) in the past 78 balls...#BBL08 pic.twitter.com/v4o0zkjwjR
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 29 December 2018
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O'KEEFE SITTING PRETTY
It was another profitable outing for the Sixers' Steve O'Keefe, who returned 2-19 to take his tally in this season's Big Bash to nine wickets from four matches.
That haul saw the Australia slow left-armer move above Kane Richardson - who had taken 3-22 for the Renegades - atop the standings.
MANENTI THE MAN ON DEBUT
There were Big Bash bows for the Renegades' Harvey and the Sixers' Benjamin Manenti and although both impressed it was the latter who turned in a match-winning performance.
Harvey struck four fours and a six in his knock before he was bowled by Manenti, who went on to claim 2-13 from his four overs - conceding no boundaries and sending down 13 dot balls.
An absolutely outstanding spell of bowling from debutant @BenManenti comes to an end!
He finishes with figures of 2/13 from his 4 overs.@RenegadesBBL needing 61 off 35 balls.#smashemsixers #BBL08 pic.twitter.com/7fwBGmuVP7
— Sydney Sixers (@SixersBBL) 29 December 2018
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