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Steve O'Keefe took a career-best 3-15 before Josh Philippe scored 64 to help the Sydney Sixers to a Big Bash win over the Sydney Thunder.
Steve O'Keefe spun back the clock before Josh Philippe's youthful hitting helped the Sydney Sixers to a rain-affected five-wicket win over the Sydney Thunder in the BBL.
O'Keefe claimed career-best figures of 3-15 to help restrict the Thunder to 6-166, turning the game on its head after the Thunder exploded out of the blocks.
Philippe then took the game on with the bat, his 36-ball 64 helping the Sixers home with eight balls to spare after the target was reduced to 129 from 14 overs.
The win moved the Sixers six points clear of the Thunder at the top, going a long way to ensuring a top-two finish.
Philippe again provided the highlight in Canberra with the fastest half-century of his career on Wednesday night.
The 23-year-old cleared the Manuka Oval rope twice and hit seven boundaries, taking 23 off the second over of the innings from Jono Cook to give the Sixers control.
By the time Philippe went, the Sixers needed just one to win, with Dan Christian bludgeoning 15 from five balls including a big six over cover off Nathan McAndrew at the other end.
"I think the little bit of rain made the ball skid on a little bit more early," Phiilippe said.
"I felt like in the first few balls that I was just going to be really positive.
"Especially bowling the spin early to me I'll back myself to try to score really fast and play my shots against them as well."
The innings put Philippe on top of the run-scoring charts, going past Alex Hales who had only claimed the golden hat in the Thunder's first innings.
Hales earlier smashed 54 from 33 at the start of the night, with the Englishman's strike-rate in the BBL now at 163.13.
That remains the highest of any player with more than 200 runs, with his record coming despite two golden ducks early in the campaign.
"I know he didn't start as well as he would have liked but certainly he has found his straps," Thunder captain Callum Ferguson said.
"Consistency has been so important and so impressive over the last two seasons with the Thunder.
"He does give the team a lot of confidence."
But when Hales and Sam Billings both fell on the boundary off the same O'Keefe over, the Thunder stumbled through a five-over block scoring just 3-21.
O'Keefe's figures were the best of his 94-game Twenty20 career and came during a season in which the former Test spinner is playing only the BBL after losing his state contract.
He also removed Alex Ross lbw when he tried to sweep, with only Daniel Sams' unbeaten 50 from 37 balls helping the Thunder to a competitive score.
