The Sydney Sixers are sweating on the fitness of star paceman Mitchell Starc following the side’s gutting qualifier final loss to the Perth Scorchers.<\/p>\n
The Sixers blew the chance to go straight through to the grand final after being skittled for 99 in 15 overs in reply to the Scorchers’ 9-147 in Perth on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
The loss has relegated the Sixers into a must-win challenger final in Sydney on Friday against either the Melbourne Stars or Hobart Hurricanes.<\/p>\n
If the Sixers win that, they will have to return to Perth to face the Scorchers in Sunday’s grand final.<\/p>\n
The decider is expected to attract more than 50,000 fans, and if Sydney make it, it will enter the match having already lost twice in Perth this season.<\/p>\n
But the Sixers’ biggest current concern is Starc, who injured his left shoulder while attempting a diving catch on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Starc was clearly in pain for several minutes after the dive, with the veteran stretching and massaging his shoulder to test it out.<\/p>\n
Although Starc was able to bowl out his remaining three overs on the way to figures of 2-32, his shoulder will be further assessed on Wednesday to check whether there is any ongoing issue.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes with these types of injuries, they can get worse once you cool down,” Sixers captain Moises Henriques said.<\/p>\n
“So we’re kind of hoping that’s not the case, but we’ll see.<\/p>\n
“He’s been magnificent for us. Like his attitude around the group’s fantastic, and he wants to play. So I’m hoping he’s good.”<\/p>\n
Even if Starc’s shoulder is given the all clear, he is no guarantee to front up for Friday’s tie given his heavy workload.<\/p>\n
Starc played all five Tests during the Ashes, and has now played three BBL matches in the space of five days \u2014 in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth.<\/p>\n
Henriques said the Sixers would have to take it “match by match” with Starc, but he’s hoping the soon-to-be 36-year-old will be given the all clear to play.<\/p>\n
“He’s an absolute beast,” Henriques said.<\/p>\n
“If anyone can do it, it’s going to be him. But we don’t want to put him at risk for his future commitments.<\/p>\n
“At the moment, I know he’ll be wanting to play.”<\/p>\n
Henriques was hugely critical of his team’s over-aggressive approach to Tuesday night’s modest run chase.<\/p>\n
The Sixers slumped to 5-64 as Babar Azam (0), Josh Philippe (13), Henriques (2), Lachlan Shaw (15) and Jack Edwards (0) all fell cheaply, mostly to aggressive shots.<\/p>\n
Only Steve Smith (37 off 24 balls) was able to get into any sort of rhythm, but the Sixers’ victory hopes nosedived when he holed out in the deep off the bowling of Mahli Beardman (3-20).<\/p>\n
“I mean, everyone’s going to feel pretty gutted,” Henriques said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a tough one, because some of the decisions were probably poor decisions when you’re chasing 148.<\/p>\n
“It’s one of those situations that when you’re only chasing seven an over, we probably didn’t need to take quite the amount of risks we were looking to take early in the innings.”<\/p>\n
Perth will be chasing a BBL record sixth title when it faces either the Sixers, Stars or Hurricanes in Sunday’s decider.<\/p>\n
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