When Smith Said No to Babar and Hit the BBL’s Most Expensive Over

The Sydney Cricket Ground witnessed fireworks on January 16 when Steve Smith smashed a sensational century against the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. Playing for the Sydney Sixers, Smith reached his hundred in just 41 balls, making it the joint second-fastest century in BBL history. But the most talked-about moment came when he denied a single to his opening partner Babar Azam, then hammered 32 runs in one over—the most expensive over in BBL history.

The Sixers were chasing 190 runs after David Warner’s brilliant unbeaten 110 for the Thunder. Warner became the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 433 runs in just eight matches. However, Smith’s explosive batting turned the match on its head as the Sixers won by five wickets with 16 balls to spare.

The Denied Single That Changed Everything

At the end of the 11th over, Babar drove the ball towards long-on and called for a single. But Smith turned him down, keeping the strike for himself. The Australian had a plan—he wanted to take the Power Surge in the next over and target the short boundary.

“I looked to try and get 30 off that over. I think we got 32. So it’s a good result. I’m not sure Babar was too happy with me knocking back that single though,” Smith said after the match.

Ryan Hadley Faces the Storm

The 12th over, bowled by Ryan Hadley, became one for the record books. Smith started with a huge six over deep backward square leg, followed by another maximum over long-on. The third and fourth balls also sailed over the fence as Smith completed four consecutive sixes.

The fifth delivery was a no-ball that Smith cut for four, and with a wide and two runs off the final ball, the over yielded 32 runs. This became the most expensive over in BBL history, breaking all previous records.

Babar’s Visible Frustration

The Pakistan batter’s frustration became clear when he was dismissed on the very first ball of the next over. Nathan McAndrew trapped him for 47 runs, and Babar walked off visibly upset, smashing his bat on the boundary cushion.

Babar had scored just 17 runs off his last 20 deliveries before the dismissal. Despite the tension, the opening partnership between Smith and Babar had already put on 141 runs, the highest opening stand for the Sixers in BBL history.

Smith Creates BBL History

Smith completed his century off 42 balls, finishing with exactly 100 runs before Tanveer Sangha stumped him in the 14th over. His knock included five fours and nine sixes, with one maximum traveling 107 meters.

This was Smith’s fourth century in the BBL, making him the first player to achieve this feat. He overtook David Warner and Ben McDermott, who both have three centuries each. Smith also recorded the fastest BBL century by a Sixers batter, beating his own previous record of 56 balls from 2023.

Match Summary

The win kept the Sixers’ playoff hopes alive while ending the Thunder’s campaign despite Warner’s heroics. Smith’s decision to deny Babar that single proved to be match-winning, even if it ruffled a few feathers along the way.