The Thunder are threatening to steal the Sixers' place in the top four after an eight-wicket derby win over their Sydney rivals on Saturday night blew the Big Bash finals race wide open.
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In front of 39,756 at the SCG - a domestic record in NSW - the Thunder crushed their cross-town adversary with 10 overs to spare, crucially boosting their net run rate to -0.10 while ruining the Sixers' in the process.
Their net run rate is now easily the worst in the competition at -1.06 and while they remain in third spot, they appear delicately poised above the top-four trapdoor with next weekend's final-round clash against the fourth-placed Melbourne Stars looming as a must-win.
The Thunder have jumped from last to fifth, and can complete a remarkable late-season finals surge with a win over the Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday night, should other results fall their way.
They could still fall short, but there's a heartbeat to their title defence that appeared non-existent after four straight losses this season.
"If they get there it means we've probably missed out anyway and I'd imagine we're not going to be able to get through on four wins purely because of our net run rate," Sixers captain Moises Henriques said.
"We have to win our next game and Thunder would've helped their chances with a good win tonight.
"They've got a good team and they've got a good list and well led by Shane Watson who's a world class player. With players like that across the board they've definitely got a good chance to go all the way."
Fawad Ahmed spun a web around the home side to set up the win, snaring four wickets and producing the franchise's best ever bowling figures before Kurtis Patterson (38 not out) James Vince (28) and Ben Rohrer (22 not out) made short work of the 100 runs required for victory.
Ahmed finished with 4-14 as the Sixers crumbled to 9-99, the lowest BBL total all season.
"I was more concentrating in the last few weeks before the Big Bash how to bowl in T20 cricket, a little bit change the trajectory, more variety," Ahmed said.
"Learning the different varieties is easy but executing is not that easy especially when you are a wrist spinner but with practice you can make it better all the time.
"Leg spin is an art, I still watch Shane Warne's videos, I watched Yasir Shah when he came down to play Test cricket here.
"I love my bowling, I'm bowling a lot in the nets I bowl two, three hundred balls every day. When you have good control of your bowling and you set up the batsmen and get wickets, it's an absolute joy.
"I keep learning, I keep enjoying myself."
West Indian Carlos Brathwaite put on a show himself with the ball, claiming three wickets and showcasing his flamboyant dance repertoire on each occasion.
Two fleet-footed streakers eight overs into the Thunder's run chase injected some life into the crowd when the contest was all but over, but otherwise there wasn't much more to cheer for the home supporters.
