Ben Dwarshuis five-for keeps Sydney Sixers' top-two ambitions alive

The pacer posted figures to 5 for 26 as Melbourne Renegades collapsed from 65 for 3 to 105 all out while chasing 150

Geelong: Sydney Sixers 150-6, Melbourne Renegades 105 – Sydney Sixers won by 45 runs

Ben Dwarshuis recorded career-best T20 figures as Sydney Sixers crushed Melbourne Renegades by 45 runs.

Coming into the match off the back of successive defeats against Perth Scorchers, the Sixers picked up a valuable four points in Geelong to close the gap to second-placed Sydney Thunder to three points.

The top two sides at the end of the group stage contest the qualifier, with the winner progressing straight to the final.  

And Dwarshuis was integral to his side’s victory, posting figures of 5 for 26 as Melbourne Renegades collapsed from 65 for 3 to 105 all out while chasing 150. It was also the first five-for by a Sixers bowler since Sean Abbott took 5 for 16 against Adelaide Strikers in BBL06.

The Renegades were in trouble from the start with the bat, losing Jake Fraser-McGurk and Aaron Finch in the opening two overs.

^{Cameron Boyce took two wickets in his first BBL appearance since January 2020 [Darrian Traynor/Getty Images]}

Shaun Marsh, accompanied by Nic Maddinson and later Mackenzie Harvey, brought some stability to proceedings, dragging the Melbourne outfit to 65 for 3.

However, when Dwarshuis struck in the 12th over to remove Harvey for seven, it kickstarted a collapse which saw seven wickets fall for just 40 runs.

Marsh departed five balls later, bowled by Hayden Kerr for 39 (36), Dwarshuis bagged two wickets – Will Sutherland and Sam Harper- in four balls in the 14th, and Sean Abbott dismissed Cameron Boyce for a golden duck as the Renegades slipped to 85 for 8.

13 wicketless balls passed as Kane Richardson dragged his side into three figures before Dwarshuis struck twice in the 17th over to remove Josh Lalor and Zahir Khan and seal the win with 18 balls to spare.

Earlier in the day, Sydney Sixers had endured a nightmare start of their own as Lalor removed Philippe for a duck with the third ball of the match.

Daniel Hughes and Jack Edwards were the next to fall, both dismissed by spinner Boyce who was playing his first Big Bash match since January 2020.

Teaming up one ball after drinks, Dan Christian and Moises Henriques took matters into their own hands, adding 53 runs off 41 balls before the former was removed by Sutherland (caught Harper) for 22 in the 17th over.

Henriques (49 off 35) and Shadab Khan (12 off 7) added a further 20 runs before both falling to Richardson in the final over as the Sixers closed on 150 for 6.

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