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 17th December 2025. 

Here, we present our preview and predictions for Match 4 between the Sixers and the Strikers.

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

Sydney Sixers opened their season with a five-wicket loss against Perth Scorchers. With persistent rain interruptions reducing the game to an 11-over contest, the Sixers should not dwell on it 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-over possesses. 

Captain Moises Henriques will again need to do the heavy lifting during the middle overs after finishing last season as the side’s top scorer, amassing 236 runs across 10 matches at a strike rate of 124 overall.

Ben Dwarshuis – who had an excellent campaign last year – enters this match in good form, shown recently by figures of two for 36 from three overs against the Scorchers, while Charles Stobo and Todd Murphy add further wicket-taking options to the attack and should adapt well across different playing surfaces.

Adelaide Strikers enter the 2025/26 BBL 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, the focus is now on turning results around through steadier performances and a better mix of youth and experience.

They 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 him after a strong Vitality Blast showing in mid-2025, where he scored 222 runs from four innings at a rate of 198.2. He has also been busy in T10 cricket recently, striking close to 220. However, it’s new addition Mackenzie Harvey that has caught the eye during the recent Top End T20 Series 2025, 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 provide wicket-taking threats, 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. Moreover, left-arm seamer Luke Wood adds further depth in the seam department while Cameron Boyce offers off-spin variation. 

That being said, their lack of depth in the lower order power-hitting department – especially during death overs – will remain a cause for concern while Adelaide Strikers’ 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 lacks support this time around. Moreover, his recent form raises concern, having taken only 12 wickets in 16 2025 T20 Blast games.

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

All things considered, we think the Sixers are better positioned to control this contest, more so given they have home ground advantage working in their favour.

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