Vince Smashes Stunning Century as Sixers Cruise to Victory in Mammoth Chase

 

Vince’s Century Guides Sixers to Easy Victory Over Stars

Ben Duckett’s blistering 68 off 29 balls went in vain as the Sydney Sixers chased down a mammoth target of 195 with ease, winning by eight wickets with 11 balls to spare at the SCG on Boxing Day. James Vince led the charge, smashing an unbeaten 101 from 58 balls – his sixth T20 century.

Melbourne Stars, after being put in to bat, got off to a fiery start with Duckett smashing six fours in an over off Akeal Hosein. Duckett quickly brought up his half-century and continued his assault on Jackson Bird, with two more boundaries and a six before being dismissed. Despite some hard-hitting from Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, Stars failed to capitalize in the death overs and finished with 194/9.

In response, Sixers took a steady approach with Vince anchoring the chase. Despite some early challenges from Stoinis, Vince exploded in the 15th over, hitting Maxwell for 25 runs. Joshua Phillipe (42) provided solid support as the pair added 83 runs in eight overs. Vince’s assault, along with a quickfire 34 from Silk, saw Sixers reach the target with 11 balls to spare.

Brief Scores:

Melbourne Stars: 194/9 in 20 overs (Ben Duckett 68, Glenn Maxwell 32; Jackson Bird 3-35, Todd Murphy 2-26)

Sydney Sixers: 198/2 in 18.1 overs (James Vince 101*, Josh Phillipe 42)

---

Scorchers' Bowling Dominates as Heat Falter in Run Chase

Nick Hobson’s rapid 47* off 16 balls and a collective bowling effort helped Perth Scorchers defeat Brisbane Heat by 33 runs. Spencer Johnson (4/20) was the standout bowler for Heat, but Scorchers managed to post a competitive total of 165/6.

After losing Finn Allen early, Scorchers were steadied by Matthew Hurst and Cooper Connolly, whose 62-run stand provided a foundation. Hobson then delivered the late fireworks, including a brutal 24-run over off Xavier Bartlett to push the score up.

In reply, Heat got off to a fast start, with Tom Banton hitting a quick boundary and six before his dismissal. However, they were unable to build partnerships as regular wickets fell. Scorchers’ bowlers kept up the pressure, with Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye, and Matthew Kelly all claiming two wickets each. Heat were restricted to 132/9, falling short by 33 runs.

Brief Scores:

Perth Scorchers: 165/6 in 20 overs (Nick Hobson 47*, Cooper Connolly 37; Spencer Johnson 4-20)

Brisbane Heat: 132 in 19.4 overs (Matt Renshaw 36, Max Bryant 35; Andrew Tye 2-23, Jason Behrendorff 2-32)

Perth Scorchers won by 33 runs.