An incredible knock from travel-weary English opener Alex Hales has all but ended Sydney Sixers’ Big Bash League title defence, as the Melbourne Renegades posted an imposing 5-178 in Wednesday night’s SCG clash.

Hales, signed as the Renegades’ international replacement for Marlon Samuels (suspected eye socket fracture) on Tuesday, made a mockery of sports science by walloping 89 runs from 52 balls.

Having only completed the exacting journey from London to Sydney less than 12 hours prior to the start of the match, the 24-year-old showed no signs of jetlag as he crunched eight sixes and took the Sixers apart.

Hales took a particular liking to the spin of Steve O’Keefe (0-50 from three overs), smacking four sixes off one over including a punishing blow over long on that travelled 111m and landed on the roof of the Members’ Pavilion.

A century beckoned for the man who was once dismissed for 99 in a T20 international, but he found compatriot Michael Lumb in the deep after putting on 112 with stand-in captain Ben Rohrer (57).

The Sixers are a mathematical chance of sneaking into the top four, but need to reach the Renegades’ total in approximately 12 overs and also rely on other results and margins going their way.

The first hurdle requires a run rate of 14.5 against the visitors.

The Renegades, who entered the match already assured of top spot and a home semi-final on Tuesday night, gave the home side hope early in their dig.

Sri Lankan allrounder Sachithra Senanayake’s first over was a wicket maiden as the visitors limped to be 1-5 after three overs.

It was Hales who turned the game on its head when he single-handedly plundered 22 runs from Josh Hazlewood in the fifth over.

In the same over, Hazlewood offered the one and only chance of Hales’ innings when he fumbled a regulation caught-and-bowled chance.

The visitors proceeded to sound a warning to their fellow BBL finalists, Hales slotting seamlessly into the big shoes of captain Aaron Finch, who was called up to Australia’s one-day squad after crunching 309 BBL runs at an average of 77.25.

The Renegades were also without Samuels, who was ruled out of the rest of the tournament on Tuesday due to the bloody blow inflicted by a Lasith Malinga bouncer on Sunday.

Veteran tweaker Muttiah Muralitharan is also missing from the Renegades’ side, with the severity of his hand injury yet to be determined.