Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers Head to Head: Sixers Lead 20 to 8 in 30 Derbies Ahead of BBL 2026-27

The Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers head to head record tells the story of one of the fiercest rivalries in the Big Bash League. Known as the Sydney Smash, this cross-town derby brings the two Sydney franchises together in matches that regularly produce big crowds, big hits and dramatic finishes. The Sydney Sixers have dominated this rivalry for most of its history, and the record of the two sides makes for fascinating reading ahead of BBL 2026-27.

The new season of the Big Bash League starts on 12 December 2026, and the BBL will once again stage two Sydney Smash derbies as part of its 44-match schedule. This article breaks down the complete head to head record between the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers, looks back at recent meetings, profiles the star players on both sides, and lists everything fans need to know about the Sydney derbies in BBL 2026-27.

Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers Head to Head: Complete Record

Source: Cricket Australia

The Sydney Sixers have won the Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers head to head battle by a clear margin across 30 matches in BBL history. Sydney Sixers have recorded 20 wins against the Thunder, while Sydney Thunder have won 8 matches, with 2 matches ending in no result. The numbers underline how strongly the Sixers have held the upper hand in the Sydney Smash since the Big Bash League began.

Earlier head to head lists counted 28 meetings, with the Sixers on 18 wins and the Thunder on 8 wins. The two Sydney Smash derbies in BBL 15, the 2025-26 season, took the total to 30 matches and added two more wins to the record of the Sixers. On 20 December 2025 the Sixers beat the Thunder by 47 runs, and on 16 January 2026 the Sixers won again by 5 wickets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Those two results show that the balance of the rivalry has not shifted in recent seasons.

The Thunder still have their moments in this derby. The most famous win for the Thunder came in the Qualifier of BBL 14 in January 2025, when they chased down the target of the Sixers with 4 wickets in hand and knocked their city rivals out of the race for the final. Wins like that one explain why the Sydney Smash remains must-watch cricket even with the head to head record favouring the Sixers.

Sydney Smash BBL: Recent Meetings Between Thunder and Sixers

Source: A-Sports

The most recent Sydney Smash derbies show the Sydney Sixers in commanding form. In the BBL 15 season, the two sides met on 20 December 2025 at the home ground of the Thunder, where the Sixers posted 198 for 5 and bowled the Thunder out for 151 to win by 47 runs. Babar Azam was part of the Sixers line-up in that campaign and played a role in the win over the Thunder. The Sixers then hosted the return derby on 16 January 2026 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the Thunder made 189 for 6 but the Sixers chased it down with 191 for 5 to win by 5 wickets.

Before those two BBL 15 wins, the biggest recent result for the Thunder was the Qualifier of BBL 14 on 24 January 2025. Chasing the total of the Sixers, the Thunder held their nerve and won by 4 wickets to reach the final of the tournament. That result ended the season of the Sixers and gave the Thunder one of their sweetest derby wins in years. In the 2024-25 season the Thunder also won the league-stage derby on 12 January 2024 when the Sixers managed only 132 and lost by 19 runs.

The Sydney Smash has also produced a Super Over thriller in the 2019-20 season, when the sides could not be separated in normal play and the Sixers won the one-over eliminator in front of a packed crowd. Moments like that one have built the derby into one of the headline fixtures of every BBL season, and the two derbies in BBL 2026-27 promise more of the same drama.

David Warner and the Sydney Thunder Squad for BBL 2026-27

The Sydney Thunder go into BBL 2026-27 with David Warner expected to lead the side as captain. David Warner is the biggest name in the Thunder squad and brings a career full of experience at the top of the order. The Thunder have also signed New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult for the 2026 season, a move that gives their pace attack real bite alongside the existing quicks.

The head coach of the Thunder is Andrew Flintoff, who took charge after stepping down as England Lions head coach. Andrew Flintoff has set out to build a squad that can challenge the best in the league, and the Thunder look stronger on paper than in recent years. The batting group includes Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Matthew Gilkes and Nic Maddinson, while Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Lockie Ferguson, Tanveer Sangha and Ryan Hadley give the bowling plenty of variety.

The Thunder will start their BBL 2026-27 campaign on 16 December 2026 against the Adelaide Strikers. That opening match will be the first chance for fans to see how the new-look Thunder side plays under Warner and Flintoff. With two Sydney Smash derbies to come later in the season, the Thunder will want early wins on the board before they face the Sixers.

Steve Smith and the Sydney Sixers Squad for BBL 2026-27

The Sydney Sixers head into the new season as the dominant side in the Sydney Smash record. Sydney Sixers have Steve Smith back in the famous pink kit for BBL 2026-27, and the former Australia captain remains one of the finest batters in the Big Bash League. Smith holds the record for the highest individual score in the Sydney Smash with 125 not out, a mark of his love for the big derby occasion.

The Sixers have also strengthened their squad with international stars, and the core of the team remains settled. Moises Henriques is the beating heart of the Sixers, with 546 runs in the Sydney Smash record, while Sean Abbott leads the derby bowling charts with 29 wickets. James Vince, Babar Azam and the rest of the batting order give the Sixers depth in every match, and the team keeps winning derbies because so many players can change a game in a single spell.

The head coach of the Sixers is Matthew Mott, who signed a two-year deal for BBL 2026-27. The Sixers have won the Big Bash League three times in the history of the tournament, and their consistency in the Sydney Smash is a big reason for that success. With the head to head record reading 20 wins to 8 in their favour, the Sixers will start both derbies in BBL 2026-27 as favourites.

Sydney Smash BBL 2026-27 Fixtures: When the Sydney Derbies Take Place

The two Sydney Smash derbies in BBL 2026-27 will be played during the 44-match season that runs from 12 December 2026. The exact dates and venues of the derbies are confirmed in the full fixture list, and fans should check the BBL 2026-27 full schedule for the derby dates, start times and ticket details. One derby will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the home of the Sixers, and the other at the home ground of the Thunder.

The Sydney Cricket Ground has been a happy hunting ground for the Sixers in this rivalry, and the pink army fills the stands every time the derby comes to the SCG. At the home ground of the Thunder the contests have been closer, and the lime-green supporters make plenty of noise when the Sixers visit. The two grounds give the derby its home-and-away rhythm, and both matches are among the fastest-selling tickets of the season.

Outside the derbies, the season starts early for the Thunder with their first match on 16 December 2026 against the Adelaide Strikers. Both Sydney sides will be aiming for the playoffs, and every win matters in the race for the top four. The derbies fall in the heart of the season, which often means that net run rate and league position add extra spice to the Sydney Smash contests.

Key Players Who Have Shaped the Sydney Smash Record

Moises Henriques stands above everyone in the Sydney Smash record. The Sixers captain has scored 546 runs against the Thunder, more than any other player in the derby, and his mix of calm batting and clever bowling has hurt the Thunder again and again. Alex Hales leads the run charts for the Thunder with 287 runs, including a century, and his aggressive starts often set the tone for the Thunder innings.

With the ball, Sean Abbott has been the main weapon for the Sixers with 29 wickets in the Sydney Smash, while Daniel Sams has taken 19 wickets for the Thunder and has delivered some of the great death-bowling spells in derby history. The best bowling figures in the fixture belong to Fawad Ahmed with 4 for 14 for the Thunder and Steve O’Keefe with 4 for 10 for the Sixers, which shows how the spinners have shaped big derby results.

Steve Smith holds the highest individual score in the Sydney Smash with 125 not out for the Sixers, while Alex Hales has the highest for the Thunder with 110. The team records are just as striking: the Thunder once smashed 232 against the Sixers, while the lowest scores in the derby are 28 by the Thunder and 34 by the Sixers. These wild swings explain why fans never know what the next Sydney Smash will bring.

Fans who follow the Sydney derby can also read the full Sydney Thunder BBL 2026-27 squad and the Sydney Sixers BBL 2026-27 squad, plus the complete BBL 2026-27 schedule with all 44 fixtures, dates and venues.

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