The Sydney derby has always been the crown jewel of the tournament Big Bash Leaguebut the 37th match of BBL|15 on 16 January 2026 at the Sydney Cricket Ground surpassed the regular season competition. In a high-stakes encounter that looks like a grand finale Sydney Sixers won a breathtaking five-wicket victory over Sydney ThunderChasing down a mammoth 190-run target off 16 balls. It started with the night David Warner‘s vintage brilliance ended with the SCG faithful witnessing the legendary artist’s career-defining masterpiece. Steve Smith.
Steve Smith criticizes landmark century against Sydney Thunder in BBL|15
Chasing 190 is never a walk in the park, even on the batting-friendly SCG surface, but Smith has turned the chase into a personal highlight reel. Opening fire near Pakistan Babar AzamSmith looked the job from the first delivery. The pair dismantled the Thunder’s opening attack, reaching 50 runs in the first four overs. Smith reached his half-century off just 23 balls, punishing anything short or wide with his trademark idiosyncrasies and gutsy moves.
During average transfers, the speed went from constant to historical. Smith’s synergy with Babar (39 off 47) provided the perfect platform as the duo shared a 141-run opening stand. But it was Smith’s appetite for the big stage that stole the show. He treated the Thunder bowlers with contempt, smashing 9 powerful sixes and 6 boundaries. He scored one of the fastest and most dominant centuries in BBL history, reaching triple figures off just 41 deliveries. He was stunned at the end, though Sam Billings off Tanveer Sangha for exactly 100 the damage was irreparable. His strike rate of 238.09 left the Thunder players in shock and the fans in the stands roaring in approval.
The Sixers beat the Thunder in the Sydney derby
Sydney Thunder’s innings earlier in the evening was a story of one man’s defiance against a disciplined Sixers bowling unit. Warner scored a superb 110 off 65 balls with 20 overs. Despite losing Matthew Gilkes and Sam Billings Early on, Warner anchored the innings, using the Power Surge to rattle off 189/6. Sam Curran He was the pick of the bowlers for the Sixers, claiming 3/28 and taking a brilliant triple wicket in the 20th over that prevented the Thunder from crossing the 200-run mark – the deciding factor.
The Sixers’ pursuit, led by Smith, suffered a momentary wobble. After Smith and Babar left in succession, the Lightning sensed a narrow window of opportunity. Nathan McAndrew (2/34) removed Josh Philippe 12 for and Chris Green fell into a trap Moises Henriques LBW 5/28 to trigger a minor collapse. However, the depth of the Sixers’ roster shined. Jack Edwards (17* off 8) and Lachlan Shaw (13* off 7) stayed under pressure finding the boundary with ease to seal the game in just 17.2 overs.
Also READ: Fans go crazy as David Warner hits 2nd century for Sydney Thunder in BBL|15
Here’s how the fans reacted:
🚨 STEVE SMITH HAS HUNDRED FROM JUST 41 BALLS IN BIG HEAD 🚨
– In a must-win game for the Sixers, Smith played one of the best innings in BBL history. pic.twitter.com/ITAfqrfDT9
– Jones. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 16, 2026
🚨 Century for Steve Smith in just 41 Balls vs 190 Balls Chased by Thunder 🤯🔥
– Century in BBL ✅️
– Most BBL hundreds of all time ✅️Steve Smith in old mode. Built differently. 👑#SteveSmith #BBL2026 #BBL15pic.twitter.com/izpCw07jVS
— Cricket Bhakt 💛 (@CricBhakt7380) January 16, 2026
It is always a strange feeling to see Steve Smith not selected by any ipl team. His game is similar to Virat. When players like Virat, Rutu, Sai Sudarshan can play ipl with Rotating strike mentality why not Smith. His batting is better than the players mentioned above. https://t.co/WUfGOcQfYK
— Ashwin (@Ashwin8876432) January 16, 2026
STEVE SMITH HAS 100 RUNS IN 42 BALLS 🥶🤯 pic.twitter.com/FPjI2Idq1g
— Keshav Roy (@KeshavRoy7101) January 16, 2026
STEVE SMITH HAS HUNDREDS IN BIG BASH HISTORY 🤯🔥#BBL2026 pic.twitter.com/yjuLuYgk4H
— Devaraj_janasena_ (@_devaraj_pspk) January 16, 2026
ALL SCG GIVE STOVE SMITH A STANDING APPLAUSE. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/rg6YueSr4v
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) January 16, 2026
STEVE SMITH HISTORY 👑
STEVE SMITH HAS HUNDREDS IN BIG BASH HISTORY 🤯🔥#bbl #BBLLLeague #SteveSmith #australiancricket pic.twitter.com/gRYh9ReaBT
— SHiBiN SeBaSTiaN (@SHiBiNLeO7) January 16, 2026
Steve Smith is pure growth in last 3-4 years in T20s. He worked on his power play, learned new mechanisms, embraced change and adapted to modern cricket without losing his core game. It shows that even great players survive not by staying comfortable but by evolving. https://t.co/Bgg4FP7FfB
— Rehanch_xxiiii) January 16, 2026
Guess Steve Smith will be back in the IPL next year as an opener – after what we saw today and his recent knocks, everyone knows what he can do. Fearless, adaptable and destructive when needed. Any franchise would be lucky to have him; he really deserves an IPL comeback. pic.twitter.com/7gbGnYJQTc
— Osman Shaikh 🇮🇳 (@shaikhusman_7) January 16, 2026
Sydney Sixers chase down 190 in just 17.2 overs to beat Thunder by 5 wickets 🌟#BBL15 #SydneySixers pic.twitter.com/jp8u74i55N
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 16, 2026
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