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The journey of forty league matches has been crossed and the four best teams are in readiness to fight for the championship in this 14th edition of the Big Bash League 2024/25. Six weeks of pure entertainment now gets into its serious business ending as the tournament approaches its Playoff phase. Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, and the Melbourne Stars are those four formidable units that have made it to this point. The points table was so tightly contested that it took the last league match to decide who would be that fourth side to make it through. Well, that just proves the quality of cricket that has been played through the tournament so far and it is just expected to elevate further. Now then, it’s time for the Qualifier clash between the number one and number two placed teams in the ladder. It features the first-placed team Hobart Hurricanes taking on the second-placed Sydney Sixers and the Bellerive Oval in Tasmania will be the host to this nail-biter. The ‘Cane, as they are fondly known have had a dream run in the league phase. Despite losing the first game, their journey stretched being unscathed until the last league game where they faced the only second defeat. In the midst of both defeats, they won seven games on the bounce, with one being a washout. Batting stood as their strong point as several batters stepped up on different occasions. Of all though, Mitchell Owen showed consistent stints with the bat, which also includes a blistering century on the way. The middle order too, supported the top order with Ben McDermott, Nikhil Chaudhary, and Matthew Wade making meaningful runs at crucial junctures. And of course, there was Tim David to cover all the void with his swashbuckling hitting down the order. While in the bowling department, Riley Meredith has been their linchpin along with skipper Nathan Ellis, who also did show a glimpse of what he is capable of doing with the bat. The Hurricanes are on the back of a defeat after a stellar run, where they conceded 200+ runs. In hindsight, one can say that such defeat can really make your feet stay on the ground before the knockouts. However, they would be keen to improve certain areas. In the pink corner, are the Sydney Sixers. They also maintain almost the same record as their opponents but just faced one extra game being washed out. James Vince well and truly marshaled the troops nicely before heading for other duties. But that marked the return of Steven Smith, who commanded masterfully with the bat. He came mid-season, faced under a hundred deliveries, and already has a fifty and a hundred to show in three games he featured in. Other batters including Moises Henriques and Josh Philippe too, showed flashes of brilliance. Ben Dwarshuis and Abbott shone with the ball. But with the latter off for his national duties in the subcontinent, it could potentially give Jackson Bird a green signal to be in the side again. Also, them winning 50% of their games while chasing just tells you how dominant they have been with the bat. Also, this is the only second time when these two sides are meeting in the semifinals. The first instance was way back in the inaugural season when the Sixers emerged victorious. But that’s in the past. The ‘Canes though, defeated the Sixers this season when they clashed earlier. So you know how closely contested this clash is. The Sixers have a rich heritage of converting their semifinals into a final finish but can the Hurricanes blow them away this time around at their home ground? Whoever wins, will punch its ticket directly to the summit clash. But the one who gets defeated will have a second crack at their luck in the Challenger later on. It is shaping up to be a genuine humdinger!