Sydney Sixers 1 for 160 (Henriques 76*, Hughes 54*) beat Sydney Thunder 8 for 159 (Gibson 53) by nine wicketsScorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSydney Thunder made a sobering start to their defence of the Big Bash League title won last summer, well beaten by a focused Sydney Sixers on the opening night of the tournament at a sold-out Sydney Showgrounds. After the Thunder lost a ruinous 5 for 15 midway through their innings, the Sixers captain Moises Henriques combined with Daniel Hughes to drive the Sixers home.Captain in commandHenriques led the Sixers with plenty of panache on the night, shuffling his bowlers expertly and not being spooked by the crushing way the Thunder ended their Powerplay, racing to 64 for 1. Instead he used spin to shift the games momentum on a somewhat tacky surface, ensuring the hosts finished some way short of their desired total.He followed up with an innings of common sense and plenty of strength, taking a particular shine to the offerings of his state team-mate, Pat Cummins. As plenty of batsmen the world over can relate, muscling Cummins is no easy task. Henriques reward was the top score of the match, and a winning start to the Sixers campaign.Bat in blackA technicolour crowd of 21,798 was in good voice throughout, but there were more than a few gasps when Andre Russell walked out brandishing a jet-black bat - a sight not seen since the little-remembered Stanford T20 tournaments in the Caribbean. While the Sixers gloveman Haddin noted on the broadcast that the ball bore a few black marks for Russells contact, a CA spokesperson confirmed it was all above board.A player can use a coloured bat subject to CA approval. The bat may be the same colour as the Clubs primary colour, or black. CA retains the right to withdraw approval in its absolute discretion. The umpires can also request a player change the bat if they believe it affects the integrity of the match.Spin shiftWhen the fifth and sixth overs of the Thunder innings - bowled by Joe Mennie and Doug Bollinger - went for a combined 39 runs, the Sixers seemed to have lost their early control over proceedings. However Henriques refused to panic, instead reverting to Steve OKeefes spin and the slinging action of Sean Abbott. The next two overs cost only seven, and meant Eoin Morgan was spoiling for a boundary when the new Australian citizen Johan Botha entered the attack. First ball and a slow, spinning off break attracted the faintest of touches from Morgan through to Brad Haddin.That wicket led to another tight over, this time costing only three, and Henriques then swung Mennie back into action against batsmen now questioning themselves a fraction. Jason Roy flew through the air at backward point to snaffle a cut shot from the captain Ben Rohrer, a critical wicket given there is no longer a Michael Hussey or Jacques Kallis adding their knowhow to the Thunder line-up. Two balls later Jake Doran also fell, this time lbw, pushing momentum well and truly towards the Sixers.When Russells black-bat cameo was ended by a Bollinger short ball, Henriques pulled another clever rein by posting Daniel Hughes at slip for Chris Green, who obliged by edging directly to him. In all the sequence had cost the Thunder 5 for 15 in 23 balls, a period that was always going to leave them within range of the Sixers power-hitters.Hunter and huntedFor the first four years of the BBL, the Sixers were Sydneys dominant team, the Thunder their underachieving western counterparts. Last season turned things on their head, as the Thunder soared to the title while the Sixers did not even reach the semis. An off-season to think about that scenario clearly left an impression on the Sixers, who have stolen an early march, not only their crosstown rivals, but also the competition as a whole.Bernie Carbo Jersey . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Sonny Gray Jersey . 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Sal Romano Jersey . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team.Three years ago, the wrestling community was forced to contemplate life without the Olympics.Now back on the program, the worlds oldest sport is hoping that the Rio Games can be a showcase for everything thats changed since then.The IOCs surprising decision to leave wrestling out of the Olympics after one final appearance in 2016 turned out to be the proverbial kick in the pants the sport suddenly realize it needed.Wrestling quickly mobilized by restructuring its once-woeful international leadership, implementing new rules to emphasize scoring and embracing gender equity by adding two new womens weight classes.The IOC took notice, returning wrestling to the Olympic roster just eight months after kicking the sport out in 2013.Here are some of the key story lines to follow as wrestling gets ready to celebrate its resurgence in Rio:---MEDAL FAVORITEAmerican Jordan Burroughs might just be the best wrestler in the world.Hes hoping to remove any doubt when competition begins Aug. 14 in Rio.Burroughs burst onto the international scene in 2011, winning a world title just six months after leaving the University of Nebraska. He went on to win gold in Rio and two more world championships, and Burroughs is the clear favorite in the 74 kilogram freestyle division.It isnt just Burroughss talent thats made him a star. His electric wrestling style and his charismatic persona have made him one of the faces of the American team -- at a time when the sport desperately needs a cross-over star.---RETURNING STARSWomens wrestling has only been in the Olympics since 2004.Japans Kaori Icho and Saori Yoshida have dominated the sport as thoroughly as any athletes in the world since then.Icho and Yoshida each won Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and should be favored to make it four straight in Rio.Icho, a 10-time world champion, lost her first match in 13 years earlier this season -- though largely because of an injured neck. Shes expected to be healthy for the Olympic meet.Yoshida is the most decorated athlete in the history of freestyle wrestling and was ranked first at 53 kilograms in United World Wrestlings most recent rankings.dddddddddddd But American Helen Maroulis, the worlds best at 55 kilograms, could give Yoshida her biggest Olympic challenge yet.---GRAYS DAY?An American woman has never won a gold medal in wrestling.It would be a major surprise if Adeline Gray doesnt break through in Brazil.Gray, 25, has already won three world championships -- including in 2014 and 2015. She also went unbeaten in a startup pro wrestling league in India, won the Olympic test event ahead of the Rio Games and cruised to first at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Gray will enter the Rio meet on a 37-match win streak against a field that doesnt look as imposing as some of the other divisions.----THE FIELDRussia, the worlds best wrestling team until proven otherwise, went largely unscathed following doping charges that rocked their nation. Sixteen of the 17 wrestlers who qualified for Rio will get to do so -- and the biggest challenger to Burroughs in the argument over the worlds top wrestler would likely be 20-year-old Russian sensation Abdulrashid Sadulaev. Hes already won two world championships at 86 kilograms freestyle. ...Kyle Snyder became the youngest world champion in U.S. history in 2015 and held off 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jake Varner to earn a spot on the team headed to Rio. Hell be among the favorites at 97 kilograms.---RULES CHANGESThe biggest changes newcomers to the sport will likely notice will be aesthetic. The mats have been changed to a darker shade of blue with an orange ring around the circle, so fans can better differentiate scoring moves. Countries have also been given the chance to design their uniforms around their national flags, rather than stick to the classic blue and red singlets that often made it tough to tell which wrestler was which. And, perhaps most importantly, there will be just two three-minute periods, and the scoring will be cumulative in an effort to encourage wrestlers to keep attacking rather than simply sit on a lead. ' ' '