It was the loss the Hobart Hurricanes had to have.
Hurricanes skipper Matthew Wade remained untroubled despite his side copping a nine-wicket Big Bash League hammering at the hands of the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday night.
The Hurricanes were far from poor - Wade's 64 and Ben McDermott's 41 had their noses in front after posting 4-172 from their 20 overs.
However, they had no answer for Sixers young gun Josh Philippe who blasted his side to victory with an unbeaten 86, along with a 74 not out from James Vince.
The Hurricanes remained in top spot after just their second loss of the season but it gave them plenty of food for thought.
And Wade described it as the reality check they needed with just four games to go before the finals.
"Maybe when we sit back we'll see it's a blessing in disguise to get this out of the way before the semi-finals," Wade said.
The game was the side's fifth in a row on the road - having beaten Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne Stars and lost to the Melbourne Renegades.
Next week's match with the Brisbane Heat will be their first at Blundstone Arena since January 4.
"We're comfortable in the position we're at," Wade said.
"We're 3-2 on the road. At the start of leaving Hobart for the road trip, we probably would have taken that."
Wade continued his purple patch of form and now has 387 runs for the tournament - second only behind opening partner D'Arcy Short.
He also sits atop the Sheffield Shield runs leaderboard with 571.
Despite continually banging down the door, he can't receive a look-in from the Australian selectors in any format - and was again looked over for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting in Brisbane on Thursday.
"I think I've had an ability throughout my career to put Australian selection to the side," Wade said.
"I probably got strung up on it for a few days. But I'm really comfortable in the position I'm at.
"I'll just keep on doing what I need to do."
