Sydney [Australia], January 16 : Australia's Steve Smith made history on Friday, becoming the batter with the most centuries in the Big Bash League (BBL) tournament.
Smith achieved this milestone during his side Sydney Sixers' derby match against the Sydney Thunder. He brought up his fourth BBL ton, outdoing David Warner and Ben McDermott and had laced his knock with five fours and nine sixes, getting his runs at a strike rate of 238.09.
During the run-chase, he smacked Ryan Hadley for 32 runs in an over, including four successive sixes and a four, the most expensive in BBL history.
Smith has scored 1,318 runs in 36 matches and 35 innings for the Sixers at an average of 48.81 and a strike rate of almost 151, four centuries and eight fifties. He has been representing the Sixers since 2011.
Five days back, Smith had returned to BBL, scoring 19* in a no result against Hobart Hurricanes.
Coming to the match, the Sydney Sixers elected to field first. Thunder skipper David Warner (110* in 65 balls, with 11 fours and four sixes) continued to light up the competition, joining the '10 centuries club in T20s', featuring Pakistan's Babar Azam (11) and West Indies icon Chris Gayle (22). He also became the fourth T20 player to reach 14,000 run landmark, making a large chunk of his side's 189/6 in 20 overs.
During the chase, a 141-run opening stand between Smith and Babar Azam (47 in 39 balls, with seven fours) killed the game in 12 overs, with Lachlan Shaw (13*) and Jack Edwards (17*) taking Sixers to five wicket win in 17.2 overs.
Sydney Sixers are at fourth spot with five wins, three losses and a no result and have 11 points.