- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Sydney Sixers have finally scored their first win of the 2017-18 Big Bash League season, and ended the finals hopes of their crosstown rivals the Sydney Thunder in the process.
Final score
Sydney Thunder 6/156
Sydney Sixers 2/157
The second instalment of the derby is here and it’s desperation time for the Sydney Thunder, who must win, while the finals chances of the Sydney Sixers are already dashed. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:40pm (AEDT).
It’s been a reasonably rough season for the two Sydney clubs, with one already dead and buried and the other hanging onto their season by a thread.
The Thunder have picked up three wins from their first seven games, including handing the Perth Scorchers just their second loss of the season last time out.
Playing at home with their season essentially on the line, the Thunder put on what was possibly their best batting performance to date, racking up 175, before holding the Scorchers to 172.
Kiwi quick Mitchell McClenaghan managed to hold his nerve, only going for a single off the final ball when a boundary would have sent the game to a super over.
The Thunder’s biggest point of difference at the moment though is Usman Khawaja. Back from Test duty, he was at the top of the order for the Western Sydney-based team on Thursday evening and made the Scorchers pay, scoring 85 off just 51 balls.
He has now scored half-centuries in each of his last five BBL innings and provides plenty of experience at the top of the order.
The Sixers, on the other hand, are still searching for their first win and the way they have been bowling, the dynamic duo of Khawaja and Shane Watson could take their attack to pieces.
After a good start with the ball in their last match, they ended up conceding 170 runs against the Hobart Hurricanes before finding themselves in a position where they needed 18 from 3 balls to win.
In the end, Sam Billings (who has now departed the squad to play for England) could only muster 12. While there have been a few bright spots, including the form of Jordan Silk and emergence of Daniel Sams, it’s hard to see where a win might be coming from for the Sixers.
Right from the opening game of the season against the Thunder, the Sixers have lost key moments. Their death bowling has been poor and batting not much better and at this point, it’s not hard to see why they are bottom of the table.
Prediction
The Thunder are going to be desperate and have already won one derby this season. Since then, the Sixers have only gone downhill and with nothing left to play for, should be kicked to the kerb again here.
Thunder to keep their season alive.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the match from 7:40pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.