Lloyd Pope and Matt Short have changed the game in eight balls, taking three key wickets to bring the free-flowing Sixers to a shuddering halt at the SCG.
Babar Azam had the chance to light up the Sydney Cricket Ground for the first time since signing for the Sixers but was again dismissed cheaply, this time for nine runs from 10 balls.
Josh Philippe hammered 46 and Moises Henriques reached 20 from 21 balls but both fell as the Strikers’ spinners swung into action.
Pope had Philippe and Jordan Silk out in successive balls, before Short had Henriques caught out the next over.
The Sixers suffered a first-game, five-wicket loss to the Scorchers in a rain-reduced clash on Sunday, but return to their home ground intent on registering their first win of the season.
The Strikers, meanwhile, will boast a strong squad for their first hitout of the new campaign.
Short will captain the Tim Paine-coached side, with Chris Lynn, and Alex Ross adding more firepower with the bat, Henry Thornton and Lloyd Pope will be key with the ball, and England’s Jamie Overton with both.
Originally published as Pope, Short, put Strikers in command after Philippe fireworks, another Babar Azam failure
