Australia’s T20 World Cup hero Matthew Wade has continued his scintillating form in the format, posting the highest score of the Big Bash season as the Hobart Hurricanes beat the Sydney Sixers at the SCG.
Wade recorded the sixth-fastest 50 in Big Bash history, bringing up his half-century from just 19 balls.
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With a single off the final delivery of the first over, Wade was on 29 off 12 before opening partner D’Arcy Short had even faced a ball.
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“It’s always good to watch when he gets going like this,” coach Adam Griffith said.
Unfortunately he holed out in the deep, seven runs short of a century, leaving Short and first drop Caleb Jewell to put on another 92 for the second wicket, before Jewell was dismissed in the final over.
Short ended with 73 from 51, ending a rough start to the season for the traditionally red-hot slogger.
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After Hobart ended with a mammoth total of 2-213, the Sixers never seriously challenged an adjusted target of 196 from 18 overs after rain halted play.
The pair of James Vince and Josh Philippe started strongly, but the run rate always looked to be beyond them.
Vince was the first to go, scoring 26 off 22, and after several close calls due to fielding mistakes, Phillipe departed with four overs to go, scoring 72 from 46.
The Sixers ended up 4-151, losing by 44 runs.
It was the Hurricanes’ first win of the season, losing their opener — also against the Sixers — by 15 runs on Wednesday night.