As with last season the seventh campaign of the Big Bash League begins with the Sydney Smash which takes place at Spotless Stadium on Tuesday. The new season is hugely anticipated and both the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers will be looking to get off to a fast start.
These derby matches are taking on extra significance and profile so this should be a great way to start the season. Both sides are former champions so we should be in for a great start to the campaign.
Sydney Thunder
It has been a rocky couple of years for the Sydney Thunder. After the highs of BBL 5 where they ran out champions they got nothing going in BBL 6 and even that amazing finish when Eoin Morgan clubbed the last ball for six against the Melbourne Stars couldn’t catapult them to the play-offs. They will be out to turn that around here.
On the face of it the Thunder look well stocked with batsmen for the time being and often it has been with the back that we’ve seen them struggle the most. They have a much changed bowling attack this season but if they can gel as a unit and start off strong then the champions of two years ago could yet start off well.
Sydney Sixers
The beaten finalists of a year ago will be out to go one better this year. Their key is probably the memories of past campaigns and making sure they replicate what has worked. Often in this format of the game it is about roles being assigned to players and then those players performing them to the best they can.
The Sixers have always had a decent bowling attack which is a good effort considering they have rarely seen anything of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in recent seasons. Even Nathan Lyon has only been around for halves of seasons. This year the question mark is how their batting can deal with the high profile retirements.
Team News
Sydney Thunder will give debuts to Jos Buttler and Mitchell McClenaghan in this match but they will be without Usman Khawaja who is away with the Australia squad. Andrew Fekete and Callum Ferguson are also likely to make debuts.
Sydney Sixers will call upon England duo Jason Roy and Sam Billings once again but there will be no Nathan Lyon or Mitchell Starc while Steve Smith isn’t going to play for them this season either given his international commitments. Dougie Bollinger is in the squad.
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Betting
Sydney Sixers emphatically won this fixture last season and I fancy we will see a repeat from them here. They look the better side with the ball and I don’t think there is much between them with the bat, if indeed there is anything at all.
The Thunder may well feel under pressure in this match because they will know how important a start is for them so I wonder if they will feel shackled to begin with. The Sixers always play with freedom and that freedom combined with the more balanced side can see the men in magenta to victory.
Tips
Back Sydney Sixers to beat Sydney Thunder for a 4/10 stake at 1.90 with Bet365
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