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Sydney Thunder vs Sydney Sixers: Big Bash League live scores, blog

Roar Guru
27th December, 2014
VENUE: ANZ Stadium Sydney 7.10 pm
TV COVERAGE: Channel 10 (Live)
HEAD TO HEAD : Sixers have won all five meetings
PREVIOUS MEETINGS:
25 Jan 2013 Thunder
Sixers 6/128 (20.0)
2/131 (19.2)

21 Dec 2013 Sixers
Thunder 4/167 (18.2)
6/166 (20.0)

30 Dec 2012 Thunder
Sixers. 6/132 (20.0)
6/136 (19.0)

08 Dec 2012 Sixers
Thunder 3/147 (18.4)
5/143 (20.0)

08 Jan 2012 Thunder
Sixers 4/29 (5.3)
7/117 (16.0) (D/L)

Likely teams: Sixers – Lumb, Maddinson, Henriques, Cowan, Silk, Carters, Abbott, Dwarshuis, Doran, Lee, Bollinger.

Thunder – Hussey, Kallis, Morgan, Patterson, McDonald, Blizzard, Hartley, Cummins, Hauritz, Sandhu, Nannes.
Can the Sixers smash their way past the Hurricanes at the SCG? (AAP Image/Tony McDonough)
Roar Guru
27th December, 2014
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2384 Reads

The Sydney Thunder will be hoping to break their Sydney derby duck on Saturday night when they take on cross town rivals Sydney Sixers at ANZ Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:10pm AEDT.

The Sixers have won all five BBL clashes between the two teams including comfortable eight and six wicket victories last season, a reflection of both teams fortunes in what is the early stages of the fourth year of competition. Inaugural BBL champions Sixers have an overall BBL record of 18 wins and nine losses, the highest winning percentage of any team in the competition.

The Thunder with last place in each of the first three seasons have the worst overall record of just four wins from 24 games.

But the Thunder are coming off probably their best win ever in the competition with an emphatic 56 run win against Brisbane Heat in their opening game of the season thanks to the performance of two 39 year old veterans.

Captain Michael Hussey and star new signing South African legend Jacques Kallis put on a record 160 run opening stand. Hussey scored 96 runs from 60 balls and Kallis making a spectacular BBL debut with an unbeaten 97 from 55 balls which included seven fours and four sixes.

Thunders other two new signings also played a big part with all rounder Andrew McDonald taking 3 for 20 from his two overs and young pace sensation Patrick Cummins a superb 2 for 21 from 3.5 overs troubling all batsmen with his pace.

The new signings and excellent opening performance have brought great hope to the Thunder that this season they are finally going to be competitive.

They face a huge challenge on Saturday facing up to their nemesis the Sixers who have started the new season superbly winning their opening two games by eight and seven wickets respectively.

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The Sixers top order have capitalised on the good work of their bowlers who have taken 15 wickets in their opening two games. Veteran Brett Lee leading the way with five wickets, ably supported by a good supporting cast.

Openers Michael Lumb and Nic Maddinson have given the Sixers great starts in their run chases. Maddinson with a superb unbeaten 84 from 54 balls in the opening game against the Renegades following up with a quick fire 29 from 12 balls in Tuesday night’s win over the Hurricanes. Maddinson has a strike rate of 171 so far and boasts a good record against the Thunder.

Left hander Lumb has a strike rate of just under 130 so far this season with 72 total runs from 56 balls faced in his two games. Moises Henriques , Riki Wessels and rising young Tasmanian Jordan Silk have provided great support.

PREDICTION
This is probably Thunder’s best chance to finally have a win over the Sixers. They would have gained great confidence from the performances of their new signings and have the attack to restrict the Sixers top order.

The Sixers will be relying on their strong bowling attack to make a quick breakthrough against Hussey and Kallis and hope their batmen can continue their good form. Think the Thunder will come very close but tipping the Sixers to just hold on in what I predict will be the best Sydney derby yet.

Join The Roar Saturday at 7:10pm for live score updates in our live blog.

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