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Steve Smith’s blistering 31-ball 52, featuring four sixes, led Sydney Sixers to a thrilling win over the Strikers.
Steve Smith is in good form in the ongoing BBL. (Image: Screengrab)
Steve Smith’s four maximums for the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday were a powerful reminder that he’s still a beast in T20 cricket. Competing at the Adelaide Oval on January 15, the Sydney Sixers were tasked with chasing an 182-run total against the Adelaide Strikers.
Smith opened the chase and led his side to a narrow three-wicket victory with a lightning-fast half-century. The Australian batter was firing on all cylinders as he smashed four massive sixes towards deep midwicket at the venue.
Big Bash League’s (BBL) official X (formerly Twitter) account has now shared a highlight reel of his shots online. “In case you missed it…Steve Smith hit four glorious sixes at the Adelaide Oval last night,” the post read.
The Sydney Sixers got off to a fast start at the Adelaide Oval courtesy of Steve Smith’s heroics. The veteran batter saw Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards fall in front of him early during the chase. Reading the situation well, Smith ensured that by the time he was back to the dugout, the Sydney Sixers were well ahead in the chase.
The 35-year-old scored a 31-ball 52 while adding two boundaries alongside his sixes. All-rounders Lachlan Shaw and Ben Dwarshuis helped their team within sight of the victory line after a brief wobble mid-innings. The visitors eventually sealed the deal on the penultimate ball of the game.
Steve Smith was awarded his second consecutive BBL Player of the Match on Wednesday for an impactful batting display at the Adelaide Oval. The Australian veteran has been in brilliant batting form lately. Smith scored a century against the Perth Scorchers last week. In the 64 balls he faced at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Smith smashed 121 runs. He racked up 10 boundaries and seven sixes as the Sydney Sixers won by 14 runs.
His T20 spoils aside, Steve Smith was also in form during the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored two centuries in that series as Australia won the five-match Test battle 3-1 at home. While Smith was crucial for the Aussies, he missed out on an incredible milestone. He just needed one more run in Sydney to reach 10,000 Test runs.
He recently opened up about the failure to reach the landmark on the radio talk show SEN 1170 Breakfast. “It [10,000 runs] was probably playing on my mind more than any other game that I’ve played, to be honest. But it is what it is; fortunately, we were able to win that game in the end, so it didn’t matter. I’d love to tick it off on the first day in Galle,” he said, as per multiple outlets.
As for BBL 2025, the Sydney Strikers reclaimed the top spot on the table after a win against the Adelaide Strikers. They are next set to face the Sydney Thunder on January 17 at the SCG.
