The Perth Scorchers have dedicated their stirring six-wicket Big Bash League win over the Sydney Sixers to teammate Michael Klinger as his family face a battle with cancer.
Klinger, granted leave after his wife Cindy had been diagnosed with breast cancer, has missed Saturday's season opener at the SCG.
Aston Turner belted a timely unbeaten half-century as the Scorchers reached 4-136 in 18.1 overs, after an Andrew Tye hat-trick helped to dismiss the Sixers for a paltry 132.
Tye paid tribute to veteran batsman Klinger, saying the Scorchers took the park wanting to win for the competition's record run-scorer.
"Every time we go out, we want to win but the fact Maxy is at home dealing with what he has to, it always gives you extra motivation," Tye said.
"You never know, it can strike at any time for anyone. You've always got to approach it in that sort of manner."
With Klinger absent and Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Sam Whiteman injured, coach Justin Langer was forced into blooding openers Will Bosisto and Josh Philippe.
The Scorchers shrugged off any excuses to post what was ultimately a comfortable victory despite a few nervous moments in the middle overs.
The Scorchers were in trouble at 4-78 after 14 overs before Turner (52no) and skipper Adam Voges (19no) guided the reigning champions to a morale-boosting win.
At one point, the required run rate crept up over nine an over however, when Turner belted 16 off a Daniel Sams over before slogging Abbott for back-to-back sixes, the game took a sharp turn.
Earlier, the Sixers' top order collapsed to be 5-46 before Sean Abbott (23) and Stephen O'Keefe (23) helped them to a defendable target.
Tye dismissed Abbott, O'Keefe and Doug Bollinger with the final three balls of the Sixers' innings to claim his second BBL hat-trick and his third of the year.
Sixers skipper Moises Henriques said it was worrying their No.8 O'Keefe was their second-highest scoring batsman after their first two games.
"Unfortunately, we've just got to bat better," Henriques said.
"We need to analyse how we've gone in the first two games. In the first game, it was definitely our decision-making in terms of when we should and shouldn't be taking risks.
"Today, we were maybe trying to force the game a little bit too much."
