Moises Henriques produced a remarkable all-round performance to carry the Sydney Sixers to a 14-run win over Chennai Super Kings in their Champions League T20 tournament opener in Johannesburg.

Henriques (49 not out off 23) produced a breathtaking batting cameo as the Sixers scored 5-185 after being sent in.

Henriques, who has started the Australian domestic season in scintillating fashion, smashed five fours and three sixes in an exhilarating exhibition of uninhibited hitting.

With the Super Kings threatening at 4-141 in the 17th over, Henriques (3-23 off three) removed danger men Suresh Raina (57 off 33) and MS Dhoni (8 off 8) in the space of three balls.

He got help from Steve Smith taking a great overhead catch at long-on just inside the boundary to dismiss Raina and Josh Hazlewood snaffling a grass cutter at deep mid-wicket to remove Dhoni.

Henriques had previously ended a 55-run partnership between Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath (6 off 11)

Blistering innings from Henriques and Shane Watson (46 off 30) set up the testing target.

Watson, the player of the recently concluded World T20 tournament, carried his hot batting form over to South Africa.

The big-hitting right-hander was murderous on anything short, thrashing five fours and two sixes in an opening stand of 50 with Englishman Michael Lumb (18 off 16).

Watson’s innings ended in unexpected fashion when he was run out by a long-distance direct hit from deep extra cover from compatriot Ben Hilfenhaus (1-26 off 3).

The big Tasmanian quick also pouched a superb catch to dismiss Sixers’ captain Brad Haddin (20 off 18) off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2-32 off four).

When Nic Maddinson (12 off 16) was bowled by Ashwin, the Sixers were 4-110 in the 14th over.

Enter Henriques, who added 75 in six-and-a-half overs with Smith (26 off 17).

When Chennai batted, Starc (3-31 off 4) struck an early blow, firing a ball through the defence of Murali Vijay (1 off 5) in the second over.

Faf (Faf) Du Plessis (43 off 25) plundered the bowling of the young Sixers pacemen before lofting a catch to Starc off Pat Cummins (1-42 off four).

Michael Hussey (16 off 19) slogged a catch to Lumb at deep mid-wicket off spinner Stephen O’Keefe (1 for 16 off 2) in the very next over.

Raina lashed some exceptional boundaries through the covers and muscular shots to the legside, but Chennai lost 5-30 starting with his dismissal.