A blistering 77 from captain Adam Voges and another lower order revival from Michael Hussey rescued Western Australia, allowing them to set NSW a target of 267 at the SCG.
Just as he did countless times for Australia, Hussey arrived with plenty of work to do before lifting the tempo and putting on 61 with captain Adam Voges at a run rate of 7.3.
The Warriors were 3-179 with just over 11 overs to go before Voges and Hussey cut loose to lift the bottom-placed Warriors to a respectable total.
Hussey scored 29 off just 21 balls with the recently retired Test champion showcasing his full array of skills as the Warriors reached 7-266.
Voges finished up with an unbeaten 77, his best one day score of the summer, as he plundered six boundaries in the 83-ball knock.
“It’s been a bit of lean pickings for me in one day cricket this year,” Voges told Fox Sports.
“The Big Bash has turned my season around … It’s great to be back here and scoring a few runs.
“… I think it’s a pretty competitive score, but we’ll have to field well.”
Their cameo partnership was ended by a fired up Doug Bollinger (2-42) who had Hussey chopping on to leg stump.
The NSW paceman was on a hat-trick when Nic Maddinson brilliantly caught a leading edge from debutant John Rogers with the following delivery.
But his hat-trick ball, a well-placed yorker, sailed harmlessly past the off-stump.
Young wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman was the backbone of the Warriors innings, compiling a patient knock of 74 while being involved of partnerships of 73, with opener Liam Davis, and 87, with Voges.
Whiteman’s innings wasn’t chanceless however – he was dropped over the boundary rope on one occasion before being caught hooking Gurinder Sandhu in the outfield the very next over.
Sandhu was expensive but the 19-year-old also had Davis out lbw for 39 and removed Nathan Coulter-Nile (0) on the last ball of the innings to finish with 3-64.
NSW had the ideal start, with gun Warriors opener Shaun Marsh fluffing his last audition for a call-up to Australia’s squad for the four-Test tour of India.
Marsh, who enjoyed a brilliant return to form in the Big Bash Twenty20 tournament, was run out for just seven when he unsuccessfully took on a direct hit from NSW’s Steve Smith.
Blues wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been rested from the match, while Shane Watson will open the batting in the second innings.