Steven Smith led the Sydney Sixers to a crushing 125-run victory over the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) local derby with a career-best 125* from 66 balls. Smith, who had battled back spasms earlier in the day, hit nine sixes in front of a packed crowd at the SCG. He followed up his 56-ball hundred against the Adelaide Strikers, becoming the second player in the BBL to score back-to-back hundreds after Ben McDermott.
After the Sixers opted to bat, Smith was quickly into his stride, carving his second ball for four and playing a superb back-foot drive in the second over. The home side were briefly set back when Gurinder Sandhu struck twice in the fourth over, but Smith was in the zone. He went to fifty from 31 balls in an over where he again put Sams into the stands.
Smith’s innings was in stark contrast to David Warner, who took 17 balls to find the boundary as the Thunder never threatened to make any sort of impression on the target. Smith’s 125* was the highest T20 innings at the SCG, overtaking Shane Watson’s 124 against India in 2016. His performances have shone a light on his omission from Australia’s T20 side, even if there were logical reasons behind it.
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Steve Smith Scores First BBL Century, Powers Sixers to Victory
