BBL 2025/26 | Match 4: Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers | Preview and Predictions

The Sydney Sixers will be aiming to bounce back following a defeat in their opening fixture as they welcome the Adelaide Strikers, winners of the wooden spoon from last season, at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

For the game, here we present our preview and predictions.

Match 4: Sixers vs Strikers | 13:45 IST, December 17, 2025

The Sixers opened their season with a five-wicket loss against the Perth Scorchers. However, with persistent rain interruptions having reduced the game to an 11-over contest, the Sixers should not dwell on the result too much and expect their players to come good at home. 

With early assistance for new-ball bowlers, both Daniel Hughes (0 off 3) and Babar Azam (2 off 5) fell cheaply. But Josh Philippe (28 off 18), Lachlan Shaw (19 off 10), and all-rounder Jack Edwards (46* off 21) highlighted the firepower the Sixers’ middle order possesses.

Captain Moises Henriques will again need to do the heavy lifting during the middle overs, having finished last season as the side’s top scorer with 236 runs in ten innings, striking at 124.

Ben Dwarshuis, who had an excellent campaign last year, comes into this game in good form, shown recently by figures of 2/36 from three overs against the Scorchers, while Charlie Stobo and Todd Murphy add further wicket-taking potential to the attack and should adapt well across different playing surfaces.

The Adelaide Strikers, on the other hand, are coming into this season looking for a reset after a poor previous campaign that ended with them at the foot of the table. With only one championship to their name from eight seasons earlier, their focus will be on turning results around through steadier performances and a better mix of youth and experience.

The Strikers have an attacking batting unit that blends power-hitters with seasoned T20 campaigners capable of controlling all phases. Their skipper, Matthew Short, has scored more than 500 runs across T20 competitions this year at a strike rate of 170, and his influence will shape how far the Strikers can go.

Veteran Chris Lynn is set to open alongside Short after a strong Vitality Blast campaign earlier in the year, where he scored 222 runs in four innings at a rate of 198.2. He has also been busy in the T10 circuit recently, striking close to 220. However, it’s the new addition Mackenzie Harvey who has caught the eye during the recent Top End T20 Series, scoring 306 runs at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 146.41.

In the bowling department, English all-rounder Jamie Overton and local quick Henry Thornton will provide the wicket-taking threat, while Pakistani seamer Hasan Ali is expected to address Powerplay issues after taking 24 wickets at a 9.5 strike rate in that phase across T20 leagues this year. English left-arm seamer Luke Wood adds further depth in the seam department, while veteran Cameron Boyce offers off-spin variation.

That said, the Strikers’ lack of depth in the lower-order power-hitting department — especially during death overs — will remain a cause for concern for them, while their spin attack is heavily dependent on Lloyd Pope, creating a potential vulnerability despite last season’s wicket-taking success. Pope was the team’s leading spinner last season, taking 15 wickets, but he lacks support this time around. His recent form also raises concern; he has taken only 12 wickets in 16 Vitality Blast games this year.

Looking ahead to this fixture, the Sixers should back themselves to respond well after going down in their first match, particularly against the Strikers, who haven’t beaten them since 2022. The Sixers possess a balanced line-up across all departments and have the quality to defeat anyone when firing properly. The Strikers, meanwhile, depend heavily on their star-studded top order of Short and Lynn, without whose contributions they are bound to look vulnerable.

The Sixers are better positioned to control this contest, even more so given they have the home ground advantage working in their favour here.

Fantasy XI: Babar Azam, Josh Philippe (c), Matthew Short, Chris Lynn, Moises Henriques, Mackenzie Harvey, Jack Edwards (vc), Jamie Overton, Charles Stobo, Ben Dwarshuis, Lloyd Pope

Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney  
Winners Prediction: Sydney Sixers