Sixers out to prove champion team beats team of champs

Sydney Sixers players were snubbed from the BBL's team of the tournament, but the depth in their squad makes them favourites for the final against Brisbane.

MOISES HENRIQUES.
MOISES HENRIQUES. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Moises Henriques would fancy a game against the BBL's official team of the tournament.

Not because he's outraged no Sydney Sixers made the cut, but simply because he believes his team could beat them.

The Sixers will feature in their seventh BBL final on Wednesday night against Brisbane in their hunt for a fourth title.

But when they run out onto the SCG as the first qualifier, they will have no players from the team of the tournament picked by all eight coaches last week.

"I reckon we give them a good run for their money," quipped Henriques.

The Sixers veteran can, however, see an upside.

"We don't just rely on three or four players from our 11, that's a huge reason (behind the snubbing)," Henriques said.

"We don't rely on anyone specifically to score all of our runs or take all of our wickets.

"That we do have guys that come in and go out depending on where we play and what conditions we have is part of it".

The Sixers' lack of all-stars is also part of why they have become the team to beat in the finals.

A heavy emphasis on local talent meant they were the least impacted by imports heading to overseas competitions, with James Vince the only real loss given Tom Curran missed most of the season.

"James Vince and Tommy when he was available to play this year, are two quality international players," Henriques said.

"But we also have high-quality domestic players waiting to play in their absence. That's a huge advantage for us and a huge strength of ours.

"The fact that we are at the moment without an overseas player and we're still leaving out someone like Jackson Bird speaks volumes."

In contrast, Brisbane have been without Colin Munro and Sam Billings for the finals.

Still, they bring one of the best local bowling line ups in the competition with Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett both firing.

The SCG wicket could also suit Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann.

And there is the x-factor of in-form opener Josh Brown after his 140 from 57 balls against Adelaide on Monday, given the damage one player can do on a low-scoring pitch.

Brisbane are also seeking to make amends from last year's pain in the final, where Perth hit 40 from the last three overs to beat them.

"Being so close and losing hurts and it hurts for a long time," captain Nathan McSweeney said.

"It's definitely in our minds. We've carried it's weight throughout the year.

"We know what it takes to get there, and we're there now and have one more game to finish it off."