Sydney Thunder 232-5 (20 overs): Hales 110 (56) |
Sydney Sixers 186-5 (20 overs): Henriques 56 (35) |
Sydney Thunder won by 46 runs |
Scorecard |
England’s Alex Hales smashed 110 off 56 balls as Sydney Thunder posted the highest Big Bash League total in history to beat Sydney Sixers.
The opener, 32, hit nine fours and eight sixes, reaching his century off only 52 deliveries, in the Thunder’s 232-5 in Adelaide.
The top-of-the-table Sixers managed 186-5 in reply as they lost by 46 runs.
Victory lifted the Thunder up to third in the table, five points behind their city rivals.
The top four teams reach the play-offs, which start on 29 January.
Hales is the leading run-scorer in this season’s Big Bash with 462 at an average of 38.50 and strike-rate of almost 166.
He struck left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe for three sixes and took 18 off four successive deliveries from Dan Christian, who returned figures of 0-48 from three overs.
Callum Ferguson contributed a 23-ball 42 and England’s Sam Billings 33 off 21 deliveries as the Thunder surpassed the previous BBL record of 223-8, made by Hobart Hurricanes against Melbourne Renegades in 2017.
Moises Henriques scored 56 off 35 balls and Jordan Silk 42 off 30 in a Sixers chase that never looked anything other than futile.
Hales has not played for England since March 2019, having been removed from the World Cup squad that summer after reportedly failing a drugs test.
England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan said in May 2020 that it needed “more time” before Hales returned to the side.
Asked about the possibility of Hales being considered for the limited-overs section of England’s tour of India in March, national selector Ed Smith said on Thursday: “At the moment I would expect things to stay as they are.
“No doors are closed in terms of a final decision. It’s not that it’s going to be the same indefinitely.”
- You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool’s trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.
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