The Sixers are struggling to find eleven fit players, but still gunning for BBL history

If he woke up on Friday with any idea of his XI, he will be well ahead of schedule.

It was only an hour before play the Sixers coach knew who could truly lend a hand, leg, anything to their cause in Wednesday’s ‘challenger’ final against the Adelaide Strikers. Having had a bid to call in former captain Steve Smith knocked back, assistant coach Jay Lenton went from wielding throwdowns with the whanger to wearing the gloves.

Because it’s been that kind of campaign for the Sixers, Lenton was at the other end when Hayden Kerr belted a boundary off the last ball, securing an MCG date with the nomadic Scorchers on Friday night.

Time and again Shipperd’s side has fronted up to hurdles this season, and time and again his players have found their way over them.

Chasing an unprecedented three-peat was never going to be easy and this season has both challenged and proven the philosophies that have driven the Sixers winning machine.

Shipperd’s dynasty has been built on a series of ‘F words’ aimed at getting the best out of his side under their own steam.

“We’re always looking to build cricket intellect so the players in the moment are more likely to make the best decisions,” Shipperd explains.

“We have our own little language that revolves around ‘F words’ that give us some direction and some signposts to how we want to play the game.”

There’s a dictionary full of those ‘F words’ and two that have been put to the test this summer are ‘fresh’ and ‘fun’.

“When you play a tournament it’s about being fresh of body and mind and that has been certainly challenged this year by the antics of Covid-19 and the schedule.”

With the Omicron variant sweeping through Australia, Covid-19 bubbles returned, the virus repeatedly hit the squad and players and staff alike from every team have had to make sacrifices. It’s not the first BBL season to have been influenced by the pandemic, but Shipperd is emphatic; it’s definitely been the toughest.

“Last year, which was a Covid-19 season, I’d give that in terms of satisfaction and enjoyment a 7/10. This year you’d struggle to get to two.

“It’s been demanding personally for our players. We’ve had a couple of babies born during that time. We’ve had people pass away. We’ve had all sorts of travel rules where instead of the collective, which is one our strengths and getting together, we’ve been isolated.

“Our players have done a remarkable job to be as up as they have given the circumstances. I guess all teams would be feeling the same but the show must go on and all teams have provided great in-person and on-TV entertainment for the people out there.”

On top of the mental toll bubble life has taken, the Sixers squad has been decimated by the virus and injury alike. Josh Philippe is one of three Sixers players who will miss the final with Covid-19 – brothers Jack and Mickey Edwards have also been laid low – while Hughes, captain Moises Henriques, spinner Steve O’Keefe (both calf issues) and veteran batter Jordan Silk (hamstring) are all racing the clock.

Three of those four injuries – Hughes the outlier – were suffered on Wednesday evening against the Strikers, with the Sixers run ragged by a heavy backend to the season that has also featured plenty of time in the air.

“I suspect our superstar physio will be full steam ahead as he has been for the last two weeks on the back of our interesting schedule of flying all around the country; it’s no surprise we have injured players,” Shipperd says.

“[It has taken] tremendous resilience within our group and fight to get up and play whilst wounded and carrying niggles. We have no idea who will be fit and available for tomorrow night’s game at this point in time.”

So while the ‘enjoyment’ factor this season may be down at a ‘two’, Shipperd says making the final is made all the more special given those circumstances.

“It’s an 11/10. It’s a great opportunity for this group no matter who ends up playing. If we can pull off a great team effort that would be awesome. If a couple of players have a day out we’ll give the Scorchers, who are a super team, a great shake.”

Through it all have been those ‘F words’, ‘flexibility’ doing plenty of heavy lifting of late.

“It’s about having flexibility of purpose and role in the game – it’s a game that challenges all sorts of different circumstances, so being able to play multiple roles within a game is important to us.”

Exhibit A – Hayden Kerr.

The Sixers top wicket-taker this season, Kerr came into their ranks initially as a batting all-rounder. Not that you would have known it from his stats. He was shuffled up the order at the SCG with a T20 batting average of 11. With Philippe and Daniel Hughes (ankle) ruled out, he belted an unbeaten 98 off 58.

It was an innings that displayed the “fearless cricket” Shipperd wants his team to play, driven by a senior core that put their teammates at ease in the dressing room.

“The emotional strength and the emotional and cricket intellect of our group has been strong,” Shipperd says.

“We’re beautifully led by our captain Moises Henriques and at times when he’s not around the experience within the group with (Dan) Christian and Hughes and Silk and Jackson Bird and others has provided a really stable atmosphere and environment for our players to express themselves as they do.

“We’ve shown we’re a complete team. We’re really thrilled with what we’ve been able to create in the preceding years. It’s a rare achievement.”

An even rarer feat awaits them if they’re able to get the job done on Friday night.

The Scorchers and the Sixers are the only teams to have ever won the title in back-to-back seasons. No one has ever done it three times in a row. The Sixers could be the first to do so, once they work out who’s fit to play.