Sydney Thunder have weathered a dramatic third-umpire decision to scramble into the BBL final, pipping the Sixers by four wickets in a topsy-turvy derby.
The Thunder will face the Hurricanes in Hobart on Monday night, needing one more win to complete a stunning turnaround from wooden spooners to champions.
Their pursuit of 152 at the SCG on Friday night, completed with seven balls remaining, was a stop-start effort in which Sam Billings’ experience proved decisive amid a series of momentum shifts.
Billings finished 42 not out, but the contest’s major talking point came when the zing bails courted controversy in unique fashion in the ninth over of the chase.
Matthew Gilkes was run out on 26, having threatened to march his side to a relatively straightforward victory after being dropped on three.
Third umpire Phillip Gillespie, unsure whether the ball or Sixers bowler Jack Edwards’ hands dislodged the bails, agonised over every angle before giving Gilkes his marching orders.
“”It’s not out, we know it’s not out,” Billings said.
“As soon as you see his hand move the stumps, there’s obviously going to be a slight delay with light.
“He didn’t even celebrate, he knew straight away. That pretty much sums it up.
“This isn’t just the Big Bash. It’s collective around the world, we need to find a better system with decisions like that.
“Disappointing … unless I’m getting that horribly wrong with the law of the game. But I’m sure if he moves the stumps, it’s not out.”
Legend Ricky Ponting was among those to share the third umpire’s view.
But the reality is the verdict would almost certainly have been different if the innovative light-up Zing bails weren’t being used.
Sixers skipper Moises Henriques believed the right call was made.
“If it went the other way, I would have been a little bit disappointed but I could also understand why there is a bit of doubt,” Henriques said, lamenting his side’s fielding.
“It could have gone either way.”
Thunder captain David Warner made a beeline for the umpires during the drinks break, when the Thunder were 3-79 after 10 overs, for a short chat before returning to his team huddle.
Billings shepherded his side from 2-65 to victory, absorbing pressure as his partners threatened to relinquish the ascendancy.
A crisp six from the English T20 veteran, over the square-leg fence, reduced Thunder’s equation to 12 runs from 12 balls before he and Nathan McAndrew iced the game.
“It’s always better when you feel like you’ve got control and you’re out there, you can do something about it. It’s way worse watching,” Billings said.
Warner’s arrival as captain has been a godsend for the Thunder and Cricket Australia, bringing box-office appeal, a hard-nosed approach and a league-leading truckload of runs.
Warner was out for 11 but won the toss and set the tone for his side, conjuring the night’s first wicket from mid-off when he held a sharp catch to dismiss Edwards.
Jordan Silk’s counter-punching knock of 43 not out lifted the Sixers from 5-76 to 7-151 but that wasn’t enough in Sydney’s first every BBL derby final.
“Not good enough. Unfortunately we’ve saved our worst two performances for the last two games of the season. It hurts,” Henrqiues said.
These two sides’ rivalry began 13 years ago, with Brett Lee and Mitchell Starc bowling in tandem to Chris Gayle at the home of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The Sixers had, prior to Friday night, boasted a head-to-head record of 18-7 over the Thunder.
