After a stunning Big Bash debut, which saw him smash 56 off 27 balls against the Adelaide Strikers, Konstas inside edged a ball onto his stumps for a duck against the Sixers at Sydney Olympic Park in the first innings of a thrilling match that went down to the last ball.
It was less than ideal ahead of a potential debut in Melbourne, but it didn’t seem to bother Konstas.
“I’ve very excited,” Konstas said. “I want to be challenged and I’ve got a few plans against those [Indian] bowlers. Feeling like I’m moving really nice and hopefully I get that opportunity.
“I’m just going to react to the ball and show a bit of intent and put pressure back on the bowlers.”
Konstas said he had “20 or 30” people heading to Melbourne in the event he plays.
It was a dramatic night at the BBL’s Sydney derby, with the Sixers getting a win from the final ball of the match after requiring 15 runs from Chris Green’s last over.
Before the match, Sixers skipper Moises Henriques sledged the Thunder about being easybeats and that his team always seem to pick up an “easy two points” against their main rivals.
When Henriques edged a ball in the air off spinner Tanveer Sangha, it looked like an easy catch would present itself. In an embarrassing moment, Sangha and wicketkeeper Sam Billings let the ball bounce in between them, to the displeasure of David Warner who clearly thought it was a catch for the man with the gloves. The Sixers, once again, had the last laugh.
Set 164 to win, thanks to 70 not out from the Thunder’s Cameron Bancroft and 47 from Ollie Davies, the Sixers still needed 47 runs from the final four overs.
Jordan Silk (36 not out) steered the Sixers home with the help of some impressive power hitting from Ben Dwarshuis (20 off eight balls).
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The Sixers required 10 off three balls before two back-to-back wides from Chris Green, a single from Silk and a monster six over mid-wicket from Dwarshuis left the men in magenta needing one of the last ball.
Despite Fox commentator Mark Waugh predicting that a Thunder fielder needed to be closer to the bat on the leg side, Dwarshuis delicately hit a ball to that very position and scampered through for a match-winning single in front of a strong crowd of 17,547.
“Until it’s mathematically not possible, you have to have belief you can get the job done,” Dwarshuis said afterwards.