Twitter Reactions: Jos Phillippe, bowlers gift Sydney Sixers second BBL title

There were all sorts of rain predictions prior to the 2019-20 BBL final. But the match between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Cricket Ground eventually took place, though a curtailed one. In the end, the Sixers, captained by Moises Henriques, cantered home by 19 runs, getting their hands on the BBL trophy since 2011-12. Meanwhile, the Stars lost back-to-back finals.

Phillippe shoulders the Sixers

In a game, pruned to 12 overs per side, the Stars elected to field, bearing in mind the weather. However, the hosts stepped on the gas from the outset and got 116. Their start wasn’t a great one as Daniel Worrall got rid of James Vince. Josh Phillipe and Steve Smith injected some momentum with a 34-run stand off 18 balls. Glenn Maxwell gave the Stars a breather, dismissing Smith.

Smith went after scoring 21 off 12. Moises Henriques and Daniel Hughes perished in quick succession as Maxwell along with Adam Zampa got a bit of a stranglehold. Phillipe got to his fifty off 27 balls and he got the apt support from Jordan Silk, who got a breezy 15-ball 27. Philippe eventually got out in the last ball of the innings after scoring 52 runs off 29 with four fours and three sixes.

Sixers scamper to glory

Marcus Stoinis carted Nathan Lyon away to the boundary a couple of times to commence the Stars’ chase. But Lyon made amends as Stoinis holed out to Sean Abbott in the deep. The Sixers’ bowlers inflicted a min-collapse as Glenn Maxwell, Nic Maddinson and Peter Handscomb had to go back without getting into the double figures. Ben Dunk smashed a six before Lyon nipped him out.

In the last five overs, the Stars needed 73 runs at 14.60 with half their side back to the hut. Ben Dwarshuis conceded five in the eighth over and the required-rate jumped to 17 in the last four overs. Boundaries were hard to come by as the Sixers marched towards victory. Nick Larkin (38*) and Nathan Coulter-Nile (19*) pulled off some lusty blows. To their sheer dismay, their efforts went in vain.

Here’s how Twitterati reacted to the Sixers’ triumph: –