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Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) turned into a theater of brilliance on January 16, 2026, as the 37th match of BBL 15 brought the city to a standstill. In a high-stakes Sydney Derby, the Sydney Sixers invited the Sydney Thunder to bat first in a clash brimming with narrative weight—the return of Mitchell Starc to the Big Bash after an eleven-year hiatus and David Warner’s relentless pursuit of the Golden Bat. While the contest was billed as a battle of heavyweights, it was a moment of sheer acrobatic genius from Sixers captain Moises Henriques that stole the early headlines.
Moises Henriques pulls off a sensational catch to dismiss Matthew Gilkes
The breakthrough came in the 6th over, just as the Thunder were beginning to look dangerous. Mitchell Starc, steaming in for his second over, delivered a wobble-seam ball on a nagging fourth-stump line. Matthew Gilkes, looking to exploit the final over of the Powerplay, attempted to loft the ball inside-out over the off-side.
Gilkes didn’t quite get the middle of the bat, slicing the delivery toward wide mid-off. It looked destined to fall in the gap, but Henriques had other plans. Tracking the ball with predatory focus, Henriques launched into a full-length horizontal dive to his right. He plucked the ball inches from the turf, maintaining his grip even as he slammed into the SCG turf. The dismissal (12 off 12 balls) gave Starc his first BBL wicket in over a decade and sent the magenta faithful into a frenzy. It was a blinder in every sense of the word, proving that at 38, the Sixers’ skipper still possesses the reflexes of a teenager.
Here’s the video:
There it is!
Mitch Starc grabs his first Big Bash wicket in 11 seasons.
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL)
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Sydney Thunder aim for formidable total despite top-order stutter in BBL|15 game
Despite losing Gilkes to that sensational catch, the Sydney Thunder showed no signs of slowing down their aggressive intent. Led by a vintage David Warner, the men in lime green reached 83/2 at the 10-over drinks break, looking well-positioned to launch in the back half of the innings.
The match flow favored the Thunder early on, with the opening pair putting on a rapid 50-run stand in just 25 balls. Warner was the primary aggressor, smashing a breathtaking half-century off only 25 deliveries, including eight boundaries and a towering six. His dominance ensured the Thunder capitalized on the Powerplay, racing to 49/0 in the first four overs.
While Jack Edwards managed to remove the young Sam Konstas (6 off 11) shortly before the break, the presence of Sam Billings alongside the settled Warner suggests the Thunder are eyeing a target north of 170. With Starc returning figures of 1/27 and Sean Abbott keeping it tight, the Sixers will need more Henriques-esque brilliance in the field to restrict their crosstown rivals on this flat SCG deck.
