Challenger preview: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes

Match facts

Who: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes

What: The Challenger, KFC BBL|15

Where: SCG, Sydney

When: Friday, January 23. Bat flip at 6.30pm AEDT, first ball at 7.15pm AEDT

How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports

Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here

Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here

Live scores: Match Centre

Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps

Officials: Donovan Koch and Phil Gillespie (field), Gerard Abood (third), Mike Graham-Smith (fourth), Kent Hannam (match referee)

Match squads

Sydney Sixers: Sean Abbott, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

In: Mitch Perry. Out: Babar Azam (national duties)

Superstar signing Babar Azam has been recalled by Pakistan ahead of upcoming international fixtures, leaving him unavailable for the remainder of the Sixers' finals campaign. Mitch Perry returns to the squad in his place, while a 100th appearance in magenta is on the cards for Daniel Hughes should be he selected in the final XI.

Hobart Hurricanes: Jackson Bird, Nikhil Chaudhary, Nathan Ellis (c), Rishad Hossain, Chris Jordan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Will Prestwidge, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Tim Ward, Beau Webster, Mac Wright

In: Nathan Ellis. Out: Charlie Wakim (omitted)

Nathan Ellis' inclusion will serve as a huge boost for the Hurricanes fresh off their thrilling victory in the rain-affected Knockout Final on Wednesday evening. Ellis was removed from the squad for the must-win final citing hamstring awareness but has ticked all the right boxes for a potential return to the 'Canes ranks. Charlie Wakim has been omitted in his place.

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Players to watch

Moises Henriques (Sixers): The skipper was smarting after his side's capitulation against the Scorchers, labelling the manner of the defeat "gutting" and speaking bluntly about the way they handled Perth's speedsters. He knows what it takes to perform at this time of year, having been a member of all three of the Sixers' BBL titles, and will be hungry for a BBL|15 redemption.

Beau Webster (Hurricanes): The longest levers in town are starting to get into their Big Bash groove at just the right time. Returning to the fold after a summer spent touring the country in the Ashes squad, Webster has hit his stride in his past two matches. He brought up a half-century against the Heat and followed it up with 47 in the rain-shortened Knockout against the Stars. That knock came from just 26 balls and included three wet-weather sixes. He might be primed to take the next step against the Sixers on Friday, at the SCG no less where he made a memorable Test debut last summer and played a crucial role in Australia's fifth Test Ashes win.

Top performers

Local knowledge

Rapid stats

Hobart Hurricanes have won their past two completed BBL matches against Sydney Sixers; a third consecutive win in this game would equal the Hurricanes' longest winning run against the Sixers in BBL history (won three from December 2019 to January 2021 and again from December 2016 to January 2019).

Sydney Sixers have won three of their past four BBL matches in NSW, including each of their two games in 2026; the last time the Sixers started a calendar year on a longer winning run in their home state was a four-match span in 2023.

Hobart Hurricanes have won their past three BBL matches outside Tasmania; a fourth consecutive win in this game would be the Hurricanes' outright longest winning run outside their home state in BBL history (also won three in January 2019 and again from January 2017 to January 2018).

Only the Sydney Thunder's David Warner (35.1) has faced more balls per innings this season than Sydney Sixers' Steve Smith (30.5) and Hobart Hurricanes' Beau Webster (29.7).

Matthew Wade (Hobart Hurricanes) has a batting dot ball rate of 23.3 per cent from 90 balls faced in BBL|15, the best of any player in the competition (minimum seven balls faced).

What's on the line?

Pressure doesn't get much bigger than this: win and you've got a place in the BBL|15 Final, lose and you're out, left to rue what might have been for another long winter. It's sudden-death in the Challenger with the winner to cross the country to take on Perth Scorchers on Sunday for a shot a BBL|15 glory.

For title holders Hobart it would be a second BBL Final appearance in a row, while the Sixers lost the Challenger to Sydney Thunder last season after also losing the BBL|13 decider to Brisbane Heat, a recent finals record they'll be keen to correct.

The only previous match between these two sides this season was also at the SCG but was washed out with only five overs possible.

BBL|15 finals schedule

Qualifier: Perth Scorchers beat Sydney Sixers by 48 runs

Knockout: Hobart Hurricanes beat Melbourne Stars by three runs (DLS method)

Challenger: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes, SCG (Friday, January 23, 7.15pm AEDT)

Final: Perth Scorchers v winner of Challenger, Optus Stadium (Sunday, January 25, 7.15pm AEDT)

*A reserve day on Monday, January 26 (7.15pm AEDT) is available for the Final

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