Sat Jan 11 15:50:00 UTC 2025: **Smith Blasts Unbeaten Century in BBL Debut, Leads Sixers to Victory**
Sydney, Australia – Veteran Australian batsman Steve Smith made a stunning Big Bash League (BBL) debut, smashing an unbeaten 121 in the Sydney Sixers’ 14-run victory over the Perth Scorchers on January 11th, 2025. The innings, which included 10 fours and seven sixes, propelled the Sixers to a challenging 222/3.
Smith’s explosive knock, coming off just 64 balls, marks his third BBL century, making him the fastest to reach this milestone in the league’s history. He now shares the record for most BBL centuries with Hobart Hurricanes opener Ben McDermott. The performance is particularly remarkable considering Smith hasn’t played a T20 International since February 2024 and was not selected for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The Perth Scorchers, despite a valiant effort reaching 206/7, were unable to chase down the Sixers’ substantial total. Smith’s captaincy also proved successful as he led the Sixers to victory. However, his BBL stint is short-lived as Cricket Australia (CA) has granted him permission to play only three matches before joining the Australian team’s pre-tour camp in the UAE for a two-test series against Sri Lanka. Smith is captaining the side in place of the rested Pat Cummins.
First Piper 