Far from kicking stones, Sydney Sixers tweaker Steve O'Keefe reckons his side should take plenty of positives from their final-over Big Bash League loss to the Hobart Hurricanes.
The Sixers went down to the ladder-leading - and still undefeated - Hurricanes on Friday night at Bellerive Oval by five-wickets.
After being set 162 to win, the Hurricanes chased it down with a ball to spare, set up by a D'Arcy Short half century.
"In all aspects we could have done a little bit better. If we're being honest we were 10-15 short with the bat," O'Keefe, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, said.
"But in saying that we pushed the team at the top of the ladder right until the very end - the last over - and we haven't played our best cricket."
Daniel Hughes top scored for the Sixers with 61 from 40 balls in their total of 8-161, while captain Moises Henriques looked in good touch before being run out on 31 by a piece of brilliance from Short.
England paceman Tom Curran (1-22) continued his good form and went at less than a run a ball, while Sean Abbott produced a pinpoint leg-stump yorker to get rid of Short.
"We've got a lot of positives. Compared to 12 months ago we wouldn't have even got close (to Hobart)," O'Keefe said.
"The guys are showing a lot of resilience and a lot of fight."
The Sixers had a horror start to last season's BBL, losing their first six before storming home with four straight, narrowly missing the finals.
This year they're three-from-three after six matches - a decent platform in a lengthened tournament.
"I think we're growing into this tournament and the guys are getting better," O'Keefe said.
"Our goal is to finish in that top four and give ourselves a shot. At the moment we're three-and-three. If you'd said that at the start, we'd probably take it."
