Ben Dwarshuis led a brilliant bowling performance, picking up 4 wickets for just 13 runs, as the Sydney Sixers thrashed the Melbourne Stars by six wickets at the MCG on Thursday.
Asked to bowl first, the Sixers restricted the Stars to a modest total of 128, with Dwarshuis spearheading the attack. He bowled a game-changing double-wicket maiden in the 18th over, dismissing Marcus Stoinis and Haris Rauf on consecutive deliveries. Dwarshuis nearly completed a hat-trick, but Liam Hatcher survived the next delivery. Support came from Jack Edwards (3 wickets) and Joel Davies (2 wickets), ensuring the Stars never gained any momentum.
Stoinis top-scored for the Stars with 33 off 35 balls, but no other batter made it past 15 as the Sixers bowlers dominated.
In reply, Josh Philippe played a solid hand, scoring 35 off 25 balls before falling to Stoinis. Lachlan Shaw remained unbeaten on 24 from 14 balls, with Jordan Silk contributing 18 not out as the Sixers chased down the target in just 17.1 overs.
The Sixers’ third consecutive victory pushes them to 8 points, leveling them with the Stars and Perth Scorchers. With the return of Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, and Todd Murphy, the Sixers look poised to make a strong run for the latter stages of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Stars, who started the season with a hot streak, have now lost three matches on the trot.
Brief Scores:
- Melbourne Stars: 128 all out in 19.5 overs (Marcus Stoinis 33, Blake Macdonald 33; Ben Dwarshuis 4-13, Jack Edwards 3-27, Joel Davies 2-15)
- Sydney Sixers: 129/4 in 17.1 overs (Josh Philippe 35, Lachlan Shaw 24*; Marcus Stoinis 2-21)
Result: Sydney Sixers won by 6 wickets.
"Three straight victories for the Sydney Sixers! 🩷 #BBL15" pic.twitter.com/z6Pb975Fqy
— CricNetworks (@cricnetworks) January 8, 2026
