SYDNEY SIXERS

TODAY’S MATCH

This is the ninth season of the Big Bash League (BBL09). BBL08 (2018/19) comprised 56 home and away matches with each team playing the other seven twice spread over 54 days followed by two semi-finals and a final. In BBL09 the 56 home and away matches will be played over 41 days but the finals programme is longer with five teams contesting. Teams four and five will contest the elimination final, first and second will contest the qualifying final and third will play the winner of the elimination final in the semi-final. In the preliminary final the loser of the qualifying final will play the winner of the semi-final while the final will be between the winners of the qualifying final and the preliminary final.

The two teams have met on 10 occasions during BBLs 01-08. All matches have been in the home and away period with the Stars winning six and the Sixers four. The Stars have won three matches at both the MCG (including one by a Super Over) and the SCG while the Sixers have won two at both locations. The Sixers have won one final (BBL 01) and been runner-up twice (BBL04 and 06) while the Stars have yet to win a final but have been runner-up twice (BBL05 and 08). The two teams have yet to meet in a semi-final. They have, however, on four occasions (BBLs 01, 03, 04 and 07), been in opposing semi-finals. PLAYER SQUADS Melbourne Stars (), , , Nathan Coulter-Nile, , Seb Gotch, , Clint Hinchliffe, (Nepal, Daredevils, Sylhet Sixers, , , St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and ), , Nick Maddinson, , Tom O’Connell, , (South Africa, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Titans, Hampshire, Cape Town Blitz, Deccan Chargers and Cape Cobras), , and .

The Stars: Fast bowler and aggressive lower-order bat Nathan Coulter-Nile and all-rounder Hilton Cartwright have joined the squad. South African fast bowler Dale Steyn is debuting in the BBL. In the twilight of his career he brings with him an enviable record at T20I level (201 matches, 231 at 21.64) and his presence and experience should prove valuable. Leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane returns following a successful BBL08 season (11 wickets at 17.72). The timing of the current international season should allow the Stars’ top players to participate in most matches. Those omitted include international all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (six seasons in the BBL, 47 matches, 677 runs at 23.34 and 49 wickets at 26.37).

Sydney Sixers Moises Henriques (captain), , Justin Avendand, , (England, Kolkata Night Riders, Surrey, Tshwane Spartans (South African franchise)), , Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Daniel Hughes, , Stephen O’Keefe, , , , , Henry Thornton, (England, Hampshire, Auckland, , Paarl Rocks, ).

The Sixers: Steve Smith is an outstanding addition to the squad. His availability however, and that of Lyon, could be affected by ’s international commitments during parts of January. The two overseas players are again England’s Tom Curran and James Vince. The 19 year-old all-rounder Curran is returning after a successful BBL08 (185 runs, 20 wickets) as is his team-mate James Vince who topped the averages (44.83) in BBL08. Two long-term mainstays of the Sixers – Moises Henriques (68 matches, 1478 runs at 27.9 with a of 126.8) and Sean Abbott (55 matches, 75 wickets at 21.03) are expected to again be key contributors.

FINAL STANDINGS BBL01-08

Team BBL01 BBL02 BBL03 BBL04 BBL05 BBL06 BBL07 BBL08 Strikers 6th 5th 7th Btn SF Btn SF 6th Won 7th 5th Won 5th 8th 6th Btn SF 7th 5th Hurricanes Btn SF 6th R/Up 5th 7th 7th R/Up BtnSF 7th Btn SF 6th 6th 5th 5th Btn SF Won Melbourne Stars Btn SF Btn SF Btn SF Btn SF R/Up Btn SF 8th R/Up Scorchers R/Up R/Up Won Won Btn SF Won Btn SF 8th Sydney Sixers Won 7th Btn SF R/Up 8th R/Up 5th BtnSF 8th 8th 8th 7th Won 8th 6th 6th

MELBOURNE STARS v SYDNEY SIXERS: Results for BBL01-08

 At SCG, December 27, 2011: SYDNEY SIXERS 9/166 (20 overs) (DJ Bravo 51; DJ Hussey 2/25, CJ McKay 2/35) defeated MELBOURNE STARS 8/164 (20 overs) (DJ Hussey 42, GJ Bailey 33, AC Voges 31; SPD Smith 2/27) by two runs Player of the match: Dwayne Bravo  At MCG, December 21, 2012: MELBOURNE STARS 6/177 (20 overs) (GJ Maxwell 82, BJ Hodge 51; IA Moran 3/30, B Lee 2/25) defeated SYDNEY SIXERS 5/156 (20 overs) (SNJ O’Keefe 42, BJ Haddin 39, DLR Smith 32; SK Warne 2/32) by 21 runs. Player of the match: Glenn Maxwell  At SCG, December 29, 2013: MELBOURNE STARS 5/200 (20 overs) (DJ Hussey 50*, GJ Maxwell 37, MS Wade 36; JR Hazelwood 3/20) defeated SYDNEY SIXERS 9/123 (20 overs) (GJ Maxwell 3/26) by 77 runs. Player of the match: Glenn Maxwell  At MCG, January 5, 2015: MELBOURNE STARS 6/150 (20 overs) (MJ Lumb 80, JC Silk 37*; SM Boland 2/19, JW Hastings 2/37) tied with SYDNEY SIXERS 4/150 (KP Pietersen 54; B Dwarshuis 2/31. MELBOURNE STARS won in Super Over. Player of the match: James Faulkner  At SCG, December 27, 2015: SYDNEY SIXERS 6/139 (20 overs) (MC Henriques 41, JC Silk 35; BW Hilfenhaus 2/25) lost to MELBOURNE STARS 5/143 (18.4 overs) (PSP Handscomb 52, GJ Maxwell 50; DE Bollinger 2/31) by five wickets. Player of the match: Glenn Maxwell  At MCG, January 21, 2017: MELBOURNE STARS 8/156 (20 overs) (LJ Wright 62, KP Pietersen 39, RJ Quiney 35; BJ Dwarshuis 3/25, NM Lyon 2/18) lost to SYDNEY SIXERS 7/160 (19 overs) (DP Hughes 34, SA Abbott 33*; SM Boland 3/37) by three wickets. Player of the match: Sean Abbott  At MCG, January 16, 2018: MELBOURNE STARS 7/128 (20 overs) (NM Lyon 3/18, SA Abbott 2/35) lost to SYDNEY SIXERS 2/129 (15.1 overs) (NJ Maddinson 62, DP Hughes 49*) by eight wickets. Player of the match: Nathan Lyon  At SCG, January 23, 2018: MELBOURNE STARS 5/189 (20 overs) (GJ Maxwell 84, RJ Quiney 36; CR Brathwaite 2/31) lost to SYDNEY SIXERS 5/190 (17.3 overs) (JL Denly 72*, NJ Maddinson 61; EP Gulbis 2/22, JW Hastings 2/27) by five wickets. Player of the match: Joe Denly

 At SCG, December 27, 2018: SYDNEY SIXERS 9/130 (20 overs) (JC Silk 41*; JR Coleman 3/18, S Lamichhane 2/18, DJ Bravo 2/28) lost to MELBOURNE STARS 5/132 (14.5 overs) (PSP Handscomb 70;

BJ Dwarshuis 3/26, SNJ O’Keefe 2/22) by five wickets. Player of the match: Peter Handscomb  At MCG, February 10, 2019: MELBOURNE STARS 6/168 (20 overs) (GJ Maxwell 82, PSP Handscomb 35, MP Stoinis 34; TK Curran 2/39) defeated SYDNEY SIXERS 74 (13.4 overs) (S Lamichhane 3/11, A Zampa 2/15, DJ Worrall 2/24) by 94 runs. Player of the match: Glenn Maxwell

BRAD HODGE: A career reviewed With the establishment of the BBL in 2011/12, MCC player Brad Hodge was recruited by the Melbourne Renegades. In 2012/13 he moved to the MCG-based Stars (pictured left) where he played two BBL seasons before heading to Adelaide and playing with the Strikers from 2014/15 through to 2016/17 – captaining the club in his last season there. In 2017/18 he played his final BBL season with his original BBL franchise, the Renegades. Hodge, a free-flowing right-hand batsman who played strokes to all parts of the field played 50 BBL matches, making 1412 runs at 42.79 with a strike rate of 134.35. Hodge was born in Melbourne in 1974 and was selected at first-class level for in 1993. In a career spanning 17 years he became Victoria’s highest-ever run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield with 10,474 runs in 140 matches at an average of 45.34 with a highest score of 286 . Two other batsmen and scored more Shield runs but both played for South Australia as well as Victoria. Hodge played six Tests for Australia between 2005 and 2008; scoring 503 runs at an average of 55.88 with a highest score of 203 not out against South Africa in Perth. In 2009 he retired from first-class to concentrate on the shorter versions of the game. At career’s end he had played 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is. Hodge was considered unlucky to not have played more often for his country.