Sydney Sixers spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe experienced contrasting fortunes for their Big Bash League finals-bound side as they kept crosstown rivals Sydney Thunder to a modest score at ANZ Stadium.
The Thunder, who ended their 19-match losing run in their previous outing, were restricted to 6-128 after being sent in.
Test spinner Lyon (3-14) produced his best figures in Sixers colours and equalled his T20 career-best effort for South Australia against Tasmania three years ago.
Left-arm tweaker O’Keefe (0-12 off 2.3) was unable to take any further part in the game after suffering a dislocated shoulder attempting to stop a single off his own bowling.
With Lyon required for Test duty in South Africa and O’Keefe’s further participation in doubt, the Sixers could be without a frontline spinner for their semi-final against the Perth Scorchers.
In a depressingly familiar situation for long-suffering Thunder supporters, their brittle batting order again failed to deliver.
With Usman Khawaja ruled out with a hamstring injury that sidelined him earlier in the competition, Thunder desperately needed big efforts from Tillakaratne Dilshan (2 off 9) and Mike Hussey (21 off 18).
Dilshan completed an underwhelming series with 62 runs at 15.50 when he was run out by a direct hit from Sean Abbott at mid-off.
Hussey produced a brilliant pull shot for six off Brett Lee (1-35 off 4), but the innings went into an irreversible tailspin when he was the second man out with the score at 60 in the 10th over.
He was caught at deep midwicket by Abbott off Lyon, who four ball later bowled a charging Daniel Hughes (32 off 33).
It was Hughes’s best score of the season though replays suggested he was lucky not to be adjudged lbw to Lee in the first over before getting off the mark.
Kurtis Patterson (27 off 26) and Ryan Carters (15 not out off 10) at least ensured the Sixers would need to score at more than a run a ball.