Sydney Sixers tune up for Big Bash playoffs with routine win

Sixers also earned the Bash Boost bonus point to finish second on net run-rate ahead of Sydney Thunder

Brisbane: Sydney Sixers 178-6, Brisbane Heat 151-8 – Sydney Sixers won by 27 runs

Sydney Sixers tuned up for the Big Bash playoffs with a routine win over Brisbane Heat in their regular season finale.

Daniel Hughes' 59 off 45 balls led a strong team batting effort against a Brisbane side playing for pride.

They fell to 43 for 4 in response, but 57 from Max Bryant and a 23-ball 42 from Jimmy Peirson prevented a harrowing scorecard.

Sixers also earned the Bash Boost bonus point to finish second on net run-rate ahead of Sydney Thunder, another of Wednesday's winners, meaning they have two attempts to reach the final, starting with Saturday's Qualifier against Perth Scorchers.

Jack Edwards' 14-ball 25, including five boundaries, gave Sydney a fast start, before Hughes came in at No.3 to play a classical innings full of well-timed strokes.

He added 57 with Moises Henriques (28) for the third wicket, before departing himself to Mark Steketee in the 17th over.

Some big hits from veteran Dan Christian (32) pushed the champions up to 178-6. Michael Neser (3 for 39) and the returning Marnus Labuschagne (1 for 23) took important wickets.

^{It's the end of the road for Brisbane Heat in BBL 11 (Matt Roberts/Getty Images)}

In reply, Chris Lynn passed 3,000 BBL runs but ended a disappointing campaign by falling to left-armer Hayden Kerr for 19 in the fourth over.

When Ben Dwarshuis dismissed Labuschagne for three, the hosts were well behind the required rate.

Kerr then caught and bowled Ben Duckett and Nathan Lyon saw off Sam Heazlett, effectively consigning the second-bottom Heat to a sixth consecutive loss.

Bryant and Peirson's 84-run stand, off 51 balls, kept slender hopes of a remarkable recovery alive.

However, when Peirson fell to Steve O'Keefe and Bryant to Dwarshuis in back-to-back overs, the game was up.

Kerr finished with an excellent 3 for 23 from four overs, while Dwarshuis took 2 for 36 and O'Keefe 1 for 21.