Hilfenhaus was the pick of the bowlers across both sides and indisputable man-of-the-match, keeping up his hot summer against the Indians with game-best figures of 5-33.

Australia’s win takes them to 14 points, while India remain in second on 10 and Sri Lanka round out the field with seven.

Australia’s imposing total was the product of an all-round batting performance, as openers David Warner (43) and Matt Wade (45) set a platform, middle-order pair Peter Forrest (52) and Michael Hussey (59) combined in a 100-run partnership to ensure a competitive total, and David Hussey (26 not out) and Dan Christian (30 not out) teed off at the death to bring the score to 5-288.

Xavier Doherty was super tight with 0-29 from his 10, while Lee was sensational in his first two spells, before seeing his figures blow out when Dhoni opened the shoulders in the batting power-play.

In one of the few low points for the hosts, stand-in skipper Ricky Ponting continued his lean run, falling for seven in his fifth-straight single-figure innings in the tournament.

Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar was equally disappointing, managing three scratchy runs in an entirely unconvincing performance at the top of the order.

For the Indian bowling attack, Pathan enjoyed the most success, taking three wickets to justify an economy rate of more than six an over.

Floundering at 5-89 at the halfway point of their innings, the Indian objective was officially rendered a lost cause when Ravindra Jadeja was brilliantly caught by Peter Forrest, running in from deep extra cover to take the skier between a host of scrambling teammates.

The Indians took their batting power play at the beginning of the 35th over and Dhoni took advantage, launching Lee’s second delivery deep into the stands and powering the next through Dan Christian’s hands at mid-off and on to the boundary to bring up his half-ton.

With 15 overs remaining and the visitors facing an asking rate of more than 10 runs per over, the death blow was eventually delivered by Hilfenhaus, with Christian plucking Dhoni at mid-on to repay his earlier drop off the Indian skipper.

Hilfenhaus and Lee came together to clean up the tail in the same fashion exhibited in their destruction of the top.

(Information Source: www.cricket.com.au)

And it’s the batting department in which the Aussies will need to lift. After four matches there still hasn’t been an Australian reach triple figures and the team’s best collective effort was there 269-run total in a four-wicket loss to India.

David Hussey has been exceptional in the middle order, leading the competition for runs scored (218) and average (72.67), all the while maintaining a strike-rate of more than a run a ball.

But there hasn’t been a lot of other batting success to celebrate. New boys Matthew Wade and Peter Forrest have played some promising knocks, but consistency has been lacking throughout the top order.

Following the loss to Sri Lanka, Ponting was hoping his side would learn a lesson and then move on quickly for their next big test.

(Information Source:www.cricket.com.au)

“We needed to bounce back pretty strongly from our last performance…  I had a really good feeling going into the game that we’d be able to get some momentum going in this one-day series again and we just had a really poor day, bat, ball and in the field,” he said.

“The bottom line is we’re going to have to move on pretty quick.”

“We know we travel on Saturday and play again on Sunday against a good Indian team so we just have to learn whatever we can from the game and move on pretty quickly.”

For the Indians, the runs have been coming a little more freely. With two wins and a tie to show from their first four starts, a lot of the credit should fall on opening dasher Gautam Gambhir, who has led the way with two 90s.

Captain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have both patches of form, and both will be motivated for any clash with the Australians.

With the host nation struggling with conditions fumbling to 158 all out against the Sri Lankans on Friday, the return to a likely fast and bouncing Gabba track will provide serious encouragement.

Consistently voted at the top of cricket wickets in the country, there will be value for shots, but more than enough spark to extract for the in-form seam bowlers in both sides.

Victorian Clint McKay and India’s medium-pace surprise package Vinay Kumar are joint leading wicket-takers in the competition, taking their poles at averages of 16.22 and 20.11, respectively.

National Selector John Inverarity said: “Michael Clarke will not be considered for the ODI in Sydney this Friday due to a low-grade hamstring strain. The medical staff are hopeful that Michael will be fit to play in Brisbane on Sunday. Hence he has been included in the squad.

“Some players are showing signs of fatigue after a demanding summer in which the Australian team has played with great intensity and purpose and performed with distinction.

The National Selection Panel (NSP) has omitted Ryan Harris for this reason and for the fact that he is carrying some minor niggles.

The NSP has refreshed the squad with the inclusion of Brett Lee and Ben Hilfenhaus.

Brett is making a good recovery from his toe injury and will be given rigorous fitness tests before Friday’s ODI fixture.

As expected Michael Hussey returns to the squad.

“After careful consideration the NSP has asked Ricky Ponting if he would captain the Australian ODI team in Michael Clarke’s absence.

David Warner is a young player making his way.

He displays considerable leadership potential, but the NSP is of the view that he should not, at this moment, have the added responsibility of captaincy thrust on him.

David has been gaining valuable experience under Michael Clarke’s captaincy and now he will have the opportunity to grow his leadership skills further as vice-captain to Ricky Ponting.

In making this decision the NSP reminded itself of the fact that Ricky Ponting led the winning Australian ICC Cricket World Cup teams in 2003 and 2007.

The NSP appreciates the fact that Ricky is prepared to accept this responsibility in the wider interests of the team.

“The NSP looks forward to Shane Watson playing in the forthcoming Bupa Shield match and proving his fitness.”

Commenting on Shane Watson, Australia Physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said:

“Shane played a Grade cricket game in Sydney on Saturday.

He batted and bowled in that game without any issue and will be available for consideration for selection for a Bupa Shield game in Perth later this week as he continues his return from injury.”

(Information Source: www.cricket.com.au)

A brilliant 110-run opening partnership by Moises Henriques and Steve O’Keefe has led the Men in Magenta to a memorable and historic victory in front a packed house at the WACA.

The Sixers may have been playing a long way from home, but they took little notice of the hostile local crowd as Henriques (70 off 41) and O’Keefe (48 off 46) put the points on the board when it mattered most.

Needing only a run a ball in the last five overs, the Sixers kept everyone on the edge of their seats – letting the Scorchers back in it with the loss of two wickets in the seventeenth over.

But Captain Steve Smith safely finished it off for his team with seven balls to spare to pull of a win few predicted at the beginning of the season.

After bowling first the Sixers could not have got off to a better start, with Brett Lee working his magic to dismiss the Scorchers’ number one dangerman Herschelle Gibbs with the first ball of the match.

But his job was not done there – just three balls later he snared the wicket of Luke Ronchi to leave the Scorchers reeling at 2-4 after the first over.

The Sixers kept the pressure on for most of the innings, keeping the run rate at just 5.50 after the powerplay, but the class of Mitchell Marsh kept the home team well and truly in it.

Marsh scored an unbeaten 77 off 57 balls to lead his team to a competitive score of 5-156 and leave the game in the balance at the half way mark.

Lee (2/21) was well supported from the Sixers bowling ranks with Stuart MacGill (1/20) and Steve O’Keefe (0/22) keeping the bowling tight.

In front of a sold out crowd and television audiences never seen before in Australian domestic cricket, the Sixers capped off a history making competition to go down in the record books as the first winners of the Big Bash League.

(Information Source: www.sydneysixers.com.au)

A lack of fast bowlers in the ranks proved no hurdle for the Sixers, with the spin bowlers more than living up to the task at hand to lead the team to its first consecutive win in the tournament.

Sixers debutants Steve O’Keefe and Nathan McCullum didn’t waste anytime to make their presence felt in the Big Bash League, ending the match with figures of 3/20 off three overs and 2/8 off two overs respectively.

After a conservative innings with the bat, the Sixers let their bowlers take the lead, decimating the Strikers attack to leave them dwindling at 6/56 after ten overs.

Brett Lee started the rot straight away, combining with a diving Stuart MacGill to dismiss Michael Klinger with just the second ball of the Strikers innings.

O’Keefe then followed, clean bowling Striker Daniel Harris with just his second ball of the season.

Not to be outdone, McCullum, who has come into the team as a replacement for Dwayne Bravo, took a wicket with only his fourth bowl in the very next over.

The Sixers got off to a positive start in their batting innings, scoring 15 off the first two overs, but a run-out in the third halted their momentum, with Michael Lumb once again missing out on the opportunity to let loose out in the middle.

As has been the trend throughout the season, the Sixers chose to pace their innings rather than go all out in attack, with a lot of running between wickets, as well as a few sixes, helping them build to a good score of 1/55 after seven overs.

Youngster Nic Maddinson (31 off 19), who has been the Sixers best batsmen so far this season, put on a good partnership with Moises Henriques (42 off 37) to help push the Sixers to a competitive total of 151.

The Sixers will head home to Sydney looking to push for a home semi-final when they take on the Perth Scorchers at the SCG on January 18.

A lethal spell of swing bowling from Mitchell Starc led the Sydney Sixers to a 17-run win in a rain-affected game over cross-town rivals Sydney Thunder at Stadium Australia.

Starc, who has been added to the Australian Test squad for Perth next week against India, showed why he’s rated so highly, by destroying the Thunder’s top order, narrowly missing out on a hat-trick on his way to 3 for 17.

Brett Lee bowled brilliantly in tandem with Starc, the veteran quick claiming the vital wicket of Chris Gayle for a duck.

With five overs required to constitute a match, the early stages of the Thunder’s chase was always going to be vital and the par score was well above the 4 for 29 they finished on when the match was called off.

Earlier, Fidel Edwards used the moist conditions to his advantage, swinging and seaming his way through a dangerous four-over spell to start the match. The Sixers middle order then collapsed, losing 4 for 6 in the space of just two overs, including a rare diamond duck to Dominic Thornely.

Ben Rohrer led a lower order fightback, smashing four boundaries and a six before the allrounder Sean Abbott claimed him for 38 (off 24 balls). Edwards was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 1 for 21 off his four overs while fellow West Indian Gayle was miserly, conceding just 18 runs off his three overs.

The Sixers move into the top four with a key away clash against the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday to determine their finals’ fate. The Thunders host Perth Scorchers on Wednesday in a must-win game if they are to make the finals.

(Information Source: www.espncricinfo.com)

The Sydney Sixers will take on the Sydney Thunder on Sunday in a match that is expected to draw fans in numbers to watch one of the most anticipated match-ups of the season.

With Melbourne hosting its local derby match on Saturday, it will be Sydney’s turn to shine on Sunday, with the two across-town rivals battling for a place in the semi-finals.

Sittting on four points each, with a fifty percent winning record so far this season, the match may prove to be the key point in deciding who progresses to the KFC T20 Big Bash League finals in two weeks time.

After four rounds of the competition, the Hobart Hurricanes were the only clear leaders on eight points, with four teams – the Sixers, Thunder, Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades all sitting in equal third place.

And if the Sixers are to get one up on the Thunder this weekend, taking the early wicket of dangerman Chris Gayle, who was the competition’s highest run-scorer after round four, will be crucial.

Sixers captain Steve Smith said that while Gayle was no doubt a strong performer for the Thunder, his team would not underestimate the ability of the rest of the Thunder’s squad.

 “I can’t write off the rest of their team as well,” he said.

“There has been a lot spoken about him being just the one-man team but there have obviously been some other good players there as well so we’ve got to work hard and get him out hopefully early and then get into the rest of their team.”

The Sydney Derby match will begin at the earlier time of 6pm, with gates open at 4.30pm – so get your tickets online at www.ticketek.com.au and get to ANZ Stadium early for a great night of cricketing entertainment!

After beating the Stars by two runs in the most thrilling finish of the competition so far, the Sixers head south with the aim of recording two out of two wins over their Victorian rivals.

They will also be hoping for a repeat of the all-round team performance that was the key to the team’s success last week in front of a crowd of over 27,000 at the SCG.

The match was the first time in the competition that the Sixers have been able to put their full potential and ability on display, putting on a show with the bat, ball and in the field.

The Shahid Afridi-inspired Renegades will also go into the clash on a high, having recorded their first win of the KFC T20 Big Bash League after a tightly-fought six-run victory over the Sydney Thunder last Friday.

With three rounds of the Big Bash League over, the Sixers sit in fourth place on the ladder and will be keen to improve their position as the competition nears the halfway mark. A win over the Renegades, who currently sit in seventh place, will go a long way in pushing the Sixers towards a semi-final birth.

The Sixers have named an 13-man squad for the trip, with Steve O’Keefe yet to return from injury, however he is expected to be fit for the Sixers following match next Sunday.

The Sydney Sixers will be hoping to return to Sydney with their winning run intact before they face-up against Sydney Thunder at ANZ Stadium on Sunday January 8.

Sixers squad: Steve Smith (c), Dwayne Bravo, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Brett Lee, Michael Lumb, Stuart MacGill, Nic Maddinson, Ian Moran, Peter Nevill, Ben Rohrer, Mitchell Starc, Dominic Thornley.

Information Source (www.sydneysixers.com.au/news)

Needing four runs off the final ball to win, it was up to Brett Lee to hold off the Stars attack in the final over for the Sixers to secure a nail-biting victory.

The much anticipated appearance of Shane Warne in Sydney proved to be only one of many highlights, with lots of big hitting, three run outs and a spectacular catch by Brett Lee ensuring the crowd of over 27,000 left the ground buzzing.

After winning the toss, the Sydney Sixers got off to a flyer with the bat, with openers Dwayne Bravo and Michael Lumb scoring at a run rate of almost nine in the first four overs.

Lumb (18 off 13) was dismissed soon after but Bravo continued the onslaught, scoring an impressive 53 runs off 39 balls, including 4 fours and three sixes.

 It was the first time Bravo has converted his huge ability into results in the competition and it was at a crucial time for the Sixers, his presence proving the backbone of the Sixers innings.

Dominic Thornely also put on a show for the packed house at the SCG, scoring 29 off 13, including 22 off the second last over, to leave the Stars to deal with what proved to be a chase that was two balls too many.   

With the Stars chasing 166 to win, the Sixers bowlers were just as effective in the early overs, with Brett Lee (1/30) and Dominic Thornely (1/29) dismissing both of the Stars openers, Matthew Wade and Rob Quiney, inside the first two overs.

But the Stars fought their way back into the match, with a partnership of 50 off 37 balls between George Bailey and David Hussey leaving the game in the balance midway through the second innings.

But when Sixers Captain Steve Smith brought himself into the attack in the 11th over, he had an immediate impact, securing the breakthrough wicket of Bailey to put the pressure back on the batsmen.

Brett Lee then put the home team in a dominant position with a breath-taking diving catch to dismiss the Stars captain Cameron White with a take that will be replayed for many years to come.  

Some fantastic fielding, including two run outs by Ben Rohrer and Nic Maddinson, as well as impressive bowling by Steve Smith (2/27) and Dominic Thornely (1/29), helped the Sixers secure a much needed win.

The Sydney Sixers will now hit the road for their next three matches, before returning to the SCG to take on the Perth Scorchers on January 18.  

(http://www.sydneysixers.com.au/news/article/2011-12/sixers-beat-stars-in-scg-thriller)