Second Steve Smith century powers Sydney Sixers to victory over Sydney Thunder

Smith scored 125 not out off 66 balls, becoming just the second player to score back-to-back centuries in the Big Bash, before Thunder were skittled for 62

Sydney: Sydney Sixers 187-2, Sydney Thunder 62 – Sydney Sixers won by 125 runs

Scorecard

Steve Smith scored his second century in as many matches to power Sydney Sixers to a 125-run victory over local rivals Sydney Thunder.

Smith scored 125 not out off 66 balls to become just the second player, after Hobart Hurricanes' Ben McDermott, to score a century in back-to-back matches in the Big Bash. Prior to this week, the 33-year-old had scored just one century in 236 T20 appearances.

Opening the batting, he lost partners Josh Philippe (bowled Gurinder Sandhu) and Kurtis Patterson (caught behind by Matt Gilkes off Sandhu) before sharing an unbeaten 155-run stand off 90 deliveries with captain Moises Henriques.

Smith contributed 106 runs off 54 balls to the partnership while his unbeaten knock included five fours and nine sixes; Henriques finished unbeaten on 45 (36).

^{David Warner top-scored for Thunder with 16 [Brendon Thorne/Getty Images]}

^{Steve O'Keefe picked up four wickets [Brendon Thorne/Getty Images]}

In reply, Thunder were immediately in trouble, with Sean Abbott (3 for 11) striking in the second over to remove Gilkes for 1.

Blake Nikitaras and Oliver Davies also departed cheaply before a run of three wickets in 10 balls saw Thunder collapse from 32 for 3 to 40 for 6 before the halfway mark.

Alex Ross, David Warner – who top-scored for his side with 16 (23), and Daniel Sams were the players to depart during this slump, with Todd Murphy (1 for 18) and Steve O'Keefe (4 for 10) inflicting the damage.

From that point, it was game over for Thunder, who clung on for a little under five overs before being all out for 62 – the fifth-lowest total in BBL history.

Joel Davies was the only player other than Warner to reach double figures, scoring a run-a-ball 10 at No.8.

With one match remaining, Sydney Sixers are assured a top-two finish and sit one point behind Perth Scorchers. Thunder, meanwhile, are fourth but find themselves just two points clear of seventh-placed Hobart Hurricanes.