BBL 2025-26: Joel Davies' complete performance seals tight win for Sixers

The Sydney Sixers hosted the Brisbane Heat in Match 24 of the Big Bash League 2025-26 at the International Sports Stadium, Coffs Harbour on Monday, January 5. The home team won the toss (bat flip) and decided to bowl first.

Jack Wildermuth and Lachlan Hearne opened the innings for the batting team as Ben Dwarshuis and Sean Abbott bowled decent first two overs respectively. Wildermuth, who is in good form, struck two consecutive sixes off Jack Edwards before the bowler made a comeback to send back Hearne for 1(5).

Wildermuth did not last long afterwards (31 off 17) as Abbott uprooted the aggressive opener's middle stump. The visitors ended the four-over mandatory powerplay at 33/2. Soon after, Hayden Kerr came into the attack and struck in his first over itself to dismiss Matt Renshaw cheaply (2 off 7).

Dwarshuis came back for his second over and piled on further agony for the Heat. The left-arm fast bowler sent back Max Bryant (3 off 5) and Nathan McSweeney (11 off 12) off the first and the last delivery of the over. Heat were in serious trouble at 50/5 in eight overs.

Given the context of the game, a substantial partnership of 22 runs between wicketkeeper-batter Jimmy Peirson (10 off 10) and Hugh Weibgen ensued bringing some respectability to the Heat innings. But, three quick wickets broke all the momentum, leaving the Heat at 74/8 in the 13th over.

The doubt over the innings going the full distance was apparent, but Weibgen tried his best to avoid it. The 21-year-old right-hander was joined by Oli Patterson and the duo added 17 crucial runs before the former was run out for 24(25). Patterson (19* off 23) combined with number 11 Thomas Balkin (9* off 12) for the final push, taking the Heat to 114/9 in 20 overs.

It was a solid bowling performance from the Sixers as Dwarshuis, Abbott, and Joel Davis picked up two wickets each at a cheap rate.

Chasing 115, the home team did not need to do anything silly and so started off steadily. But, left-arm pacer Patterson provided a much-needed boost in the third over scalping Babar Azam (2 off 7) and Josh Philippe (0 off 1) off consecutive deliveries.

Opener Daniel Hughes held one end up as he was joined by skipper Moises Henriques (26 off 24). The partnership did not last long as Xavier Bartlett sent back Hughes for a run-a-ball 15. Despite losing three wickets with 34 runs on the board after six overs, the Sixers still looked on track to achieve the target with some degree of patience and hard work.

But the going was going to get much tougher as the Heat struck four blows in just 10 deliveries, reducing the batting team from 47/3 to 56/7. A simple-looking chase suddenly turned horribly wrong for the Sixers, more so because of their own reckless batting.

Davies and Kerr came together and started to bat sensibly. The pair needed to take singles and doubles only as the required run rate was near six and half runs per over, and they did that. Davies, when it looked like he could, attempted to score boundaries beginning from the 14th over.

The equation was never a concern but the wickets column was. The duo looked settled and the hopes of the Sixers ignited once again. As the partnership went on, the pressure started reducing and the batters felt more comfortable to seek boundaries which they did.

The Heat bowlers, who brought their team very much back into the game, seemed ineffective as the Sixers closed in on a victory. Kerr (27* off 25) finished off in style with a six as the home team won the match by three wickets and eight balls remaining.

Notably, the unbroken 62-run partnership between the pair was the highest for the Sixers for the eighth wicket, breaking the record of 48 between Steve O'Keefe and Sean Abbott 

For the Heat, left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann was the pick of the bowlers for his figures of 4-0-14-2. Davies, for his match-winning knock of 35*(26) and two wickets, was adjudged the Player of the Match.