Wood, Overton and Scott star as Strikers overcome Sixers

Babar Azam's sluggish start in the BBL continued as a typically lionhearted Jamie Overton delivered a superb all-round performance to inspire Adelaide Strikers over Sydney Sixers at the SCG.

Overton claimed 2 for 22 from four overs to help restrict Sixers to a middling total in good batting conditions before making an invaluable 30 off 20 balls in a tense chase. Strikers reached the 160-run target with four balls to spare to notch their first win at the SCG since 2017.

After Sixers were sent in to bat, all eyes were on Babar who made just 2 from five deliveries in Sixers' season-opening loss to Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium. But he fared only slightly better with 9 off ten balls after hitting tamely to midwicket in a similar mode of dismissal to his BBL debut.

Sixers did recover through Josh Philippe's 46 off 28 balls but were unable to kick on with a number of batters throwing their wickets away. Strikers were able to regularly make breakthroughs with Overton, Luke Wood and legspinner Lloyd Pope combining for seven wickets.

Pakistan quick Hasan Ali struggled to find his lengths and finished with 0-36 from 4 overs in his BBL debut. It continues a tough start for Pakistan players in the competition with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan having also endured lacklustre debuts.

Sixers' total appeared under-par, but they have a knack of defending smaller totals at home. Matt Short and Chris Lynn blazed away in the early overs, but the dangermen fell in consecutive overs in the backend of the powerplay to lift Sixers' spirit.

Liam Scott made 51 off 32 balls to get Strikers back on track but regular wickets, including a brilliant one-handed catch by Dan Hughes at short fine-leg to dismiss Harry Nielsen, kept things interesting.

Overton was calm and collected before falling with six runs needed off seven deliveries. There were no late wobbles, however, as Strikers clinched an impressive opening victory while powerhouse Sixers slumped to 0-2.

After struggling to handle the bounce in Perth during his brief innings in a tough BBL initiation, Babar hoped to hit back in his home debut on a good batting surface.

Having not yet faced a delivery, Babar had a nervous moment when he was almost run out on the second ball of the innings but a shy at the striker's end from Scott at backward point narrowly missed the stumps.

The smattering of fans garbed in magenta made plenty of noise when Babar whipped through midwicket on his second delivery to register a maiden boundary in the BBL.

But Babar only lasted until the third over much to the disappointment of those in the terraces. There were shades of Marnus Labuschagne's wicket earlier in the day in the third Ashes Test when Babar meekly jabbed a hard length delivery from Wood straight to midwicket.

Sixers had initially done well to recover from Babar's early dismissal. Having played in the ODI and T20I series against India recently, Philippe was a shining light against Scorchers and carried over his form with three early boundaries.

Hasan entered the attack after the four-over powerplay, but made an inglorious start to his BBL career when Hughes whacked a half-tracker into the stands over deep backward square leg.

Even though Hughes holed out on 11, Sixers appeared well placed at the halfway point as Philippe rolled towards a half-century. Philippe's eyes lit up on 46, but he could only hit Pope straight to long-off.

Pope can be expensive but has been relied upon in recent seasons to be a strike weapon for Strikers. He furthered his reputation by rattling the stumps of veteran Jordan Silk on the very next delivery.

Sixers rallied somewhat through allrounder Jack Edwards, who backed up his big-hitting efforts against Scorchers, but their total ultimately proved not enough.

There was a moment of silence before the game to honour the victims of the Bondi terror atrocity, with increased security measures put in place at the venue.