The Sixers and Thunder collide in this second Sydney Derby, with the Thunder still in the finals race, while the Sixers look for their first win. Here is my full preview, plus The Prophet’s pick.
Sydney Sixers (0-6) vs Sydney Thunder (3-4) at the SCG
Head-to-head: Sydney Sixers 8, Sydney Thunder 4
Last five: Sydney Thunder 3, Sydney Sixers 2Sydney Sixers 13-man squad
Johan Botha (c), Moises Henriques, Jon Denly, Carlos Braithwaite, Nic Maddinson, Daniel Hughes, Jordan Silk, Sean Abbott, Peter Neville +, Daniel Sams, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Lyon, Jackson BirdSydney Thunder 13-man squad
Shane Watson (c), Kurtis Patterson, Callum Ferguson, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Ben Rohrer, Chris Green, Fawad Ahmed, Arjun Nair, Mitch McClenaghan, Gurinder Sandhu, Andrew Fekete, James Vince
The Thunder kept their season alive with a tense three-run victory over the Perth Scorchers in a game they nearly blew, after being in total control, with the Scorchers 4/172 in chase of the Thunder’s 4/175. The Sixers remain winless despite a brave performance against the Hurricanes, losing by five runs at Blundstone Arena.
Big batting battle – Moises Henriques vs Usman Khawaja
Two good friends go at it here with Henriques returning for the Sixers, while Khawaja plays his second game of the season for the Thunder.
Henriques took leave for three games for personal reasons, and the Sixers have really missed his experience and quality in the No.4 position in a side that is really struggling for any sort of rhythm or confidence with the bat.
Khawaja made an immediate and huge impact for the Thunder, whacking 85 from 51 balls, as the Thunder managed a big score against the Scorchers at Spotless Stadium.
(AAP Image/David Mariuz)
Big bowling battle – Sean Abbott vs Gurinder Sandhu
Another two State teammates face up here, with the changes of pace of seamers Sean Abbot and Gurinder Sandhu.
Abbott has been a bit hot and cold this BBL7, however he is a genuine wicket-taker, and he was at his best against the Hurricanes in the Sixers’ last game, taking 3/27 from his four overs including the key wicket of D’Arcy Short.
Gurinder Sandhu is finally starting to hit his straps again, after a disappointing past eighteen months in all forms of the game. Sandhu was by far and away the Thunder’s best bowler, with match-winning figures of 1/17 from 4 overs, as the Thunder barely defended their 175 against the Scorchers.
Ground dynamic – The SCG
This is the third BBL7 game at the SCG this year, and the first since the Test match between Australia and England.
In both games before the New Year, the wicket looked fresh and the outfield was lightning fast, with really good batting conditions.
Usually at the SCG there is one really short boundary, so expect batsmen to target that, and bowlers to try and bowl to defend the longer side of the field.
The Prophet’s pick – Sydney Sixers
“The Sixers have only let me down three or four times, so what’s one more chance in the grand scheme of things?”
The Prophet’s 10-unit bank (-46 Units)
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