A powerful half-century from Sydney Sixers opener Josh Philippe has helped set the Melbourne Renegades a target of 150 that had looked like being much more in their BBL clash at the SCG.
The Renegades skipper Nic Maddinson won the bat flip and sent the hosts in but Philippe turned to his home ground expertise to blast 55 from 40 balls.
The 25-year-old frequently sought out a short boundary that was a mere 55m from the pitch, clearing the fence twice in a Mujeeb Ur Rahman over on the way to a 15th BBL fifty.
The Sixers had the momentum and a power surge still to use when 1-91 in the 12th over, until Philippe scooped a slower ball from Will Sutherland straight to Akeal Hosein at leg gully.
In-form skipper Moises Henriques was run out in the next over after facing only one delivery, as the Renegades started to slow the flow of runs with regular wickets.
Pace bowler Kane Richardson was also pivotal in restricting the Sixers' total, conceding four runs from his first two overs and finishing with 2-22.
Spinner Ur Rahman dropped a high but relatively simple catch early in James Vince's innings (26) but bounced back to take 3-29 including two wickets for only one run in the power surge in the 18th over.
The Sixers finished on 8-149 but will have to overcome an experienced Renegades batting line-up that has been bolstered by the addition of Shaun Marsh, Martin Guptill and Peter Handscomb if they are to seal a third consecutive win.