Sydney Sixers notched their second victory of the KFC Big Bash League on Tuesday by posting a two-run win over Melbourne Stars at the SCG.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Sixers were well led by Dwayne Bravo (52 of 39 balls) on their way to 9-166 from their 20 overs.
In response the Stars always looked up against it and they came up just short in the run chase – finishing on 8-164 after they needing four runs from Brett Lee's final ball.
Bravo opened for the Sixers with Michael Lumb and the West Indian took to James Faulkner (1-42) in the third over, cracking the paceman for three boundaries, while Lumb hit a massive six off Clint McKay's first ball.
A slower ball from McKay (2-34) brought about Lumb's undoing four balls later when he presented the simplest of catches to Rob Quiney, and Shane Warne (1-27) came into the attack in the seventh over with his first ball dispatched by Bravo for six.
Nic Maddinson looked in good touch, sprinting to 24 off 17 balls with two sixes and a four, but David Hussey (2-25) trapped him LBW after he was hit on the back leg attempting a sweep.
Steven Smith (7 off 11) fell the same way from the first ball of Chris Simpson's (1-24) third over and Moises Henriques (1) faced only two deliveries from Faulkner before lofting a catch to Luke Wright at mid-on.
Bravo was the danger man, hitting Warne for another six from the third ball of his final over, but the Sheikh of Tweak gained revenge two balls later when the slugger holed out to Faulkner on the boundary.
Peter Nevill was caught and bowled by Hussey for one to reduce the Sixers to 6-119, but Dominic Thornely cracked 22 runs off Faulkner from the 19th over to give the home side a valuable shot in the arm.
Thornely (29 of 13) and Ben Rohrer (29 off 19) put on 45 off 21 balls for the seventh wicket to help lift the Sixers to 9-166.
In reply, the Stars hit trouble early when Matthew Wade (1 off 2) pulled the ball straight to Smith off Thornely (1-29) and when Lee (1-30) snared Quiney for 14 the visitors were looking down the barrel at 2-18.
George Bailey (33 off 25) and Hussey (42 off 30) steadied the ship with a 59-run stand for the third wicket until Bailey picked out Lumb on the boundary off Smith's (2-27) first over, bringing Cameron White (3 off 4) to the middle.
Two old stagers combined to dismiss the Stars captain, however, with Lee charging in from long-off to grasp a superb diving catch off the bowling of Stuart MacGill (1-36).
Hussey's run out - courtesy of a fine throw from Rohrer after he attempted an ambitious second run off Smith - was a hammer blow for the Stars, and when Luke Wright (9 off 6) fell to Smith in his next over the visitors were 6-128.
Adam Voges' (31 off 22) run out hurt the Stars, and despite the best efforts of Faulkner (13 off 8) and Simpson (8 not out off 5) they came up just short when tailender McKay's drive off the final ball didn't reach the ropes.
