The first Sydney Smash of the season forms the Big Bash League attention on Wednesday when the top two in the table head to the capital as the Sydney Thunder take on the Sydney Sixers at the Manuka Oval.
This match was one of the few shifted away from Sydney due to the ongoing restrictions in that part of the world and they now battle it out for the right to end the night top of the table in different surroundings.
Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder have been going along great guns in the competition so far although they fell a little flat on their face when they ran into the Perth Scorchers last time out. That was their second loss in three matches and on both occasions their bowlers took a bit of a flogging so they are not going to need to look too far for where they need to improve moving forward in the competition. The bright side is that they are probably only a win or two from securing a place in the finals.
There might well be something of an advantage for the Thunder in this match because of the nine matches they have played this season, five of them have been on this ground so they will know the dimensions and the conditions very well. Not only have they played five matches here but they have won the last four and should have won the other although it was their first game of the season so some allowances can be made for a late innings slump.
Sydney Sixers
The defending champions Sydney Sixers are exactly where they want to be in their title defence. They have five matches of the regular season left and they sit on top of the table and a win here would take them clear at the summit and put them in a very strong position to finish in the top two and guarantee the easiest path back to the final, where they will look to be the first team since the Perth Scorchers in BBL04 to successfully defend the title.
The Sixers have gone about things the completely opposite way to how we are used to seeing them do it. Usually their bowling is as tough as teak and their batting does enough to get the job done but this season they have been a lot more brutal with the bat, and although they haven’t been quite as good with the ball they have showed signs in the last match or two that they are getting stronger in that department. With players to come back that improvement should continue.
Special Offer
Sign up for an account on the Betfair Exchange and get a free £20 risk free bet to use on the BBL! Click the image below to bet. 18+ T&Cs apply. New accounts only. Gamble Aware.
New customers only, bet up to £20 on the Exchange and if your first bet loses, we’ll refund you £20 in Cash. Bet must be placed in first 7 days of account opening. Click the above image to bet. T&Cs apply. Payment restrictions apply.
Team News
The good news for the Sydney Thunder is that they have Daniel Sams back in their squad after he has passed all of the concussion protocols. Who he replaces is a different thing entirely after Brendan Doggett took four wickets in the last game. Chris Green might be vulnerable.
Ben Dwarshuis has been added to the Sydney Sixers squad for this match although there are murmurs that he will not be fit to feature until their next match. If he is fit he could replace Jackson Bird who rarely plays successive matches.
Betting
I’m really looking forward to the opening Sydney Smash of the season because in my eyes these two teams have been the best in the competition so far. That means we should be in for a cracking contest but it isn’t one which I’m willing to pick the winner in. I say that because you’ve got to think whoever chases here is at a significant advantage, especially when you think both teams have been better with the bat in hand this season rather than the ball.
Instead I’m going to play the boundaries in this match. I say that because the line is at 37.5 which is a little on the low side to me. Both these teams hit a lot of boundaries with the aggressive players in their ranks and with neither having what you would call a real mystery spinner the runs are likely to flow throughout the contest. We know that the Manuka Oval is pretty tiny by Australian standards and the outfield has been lightning fast here so far in the tournament. That encourages boundary scoring and the way these two sides are batting I’m expecting to go way beyond the 37.5 mark.
Tips
VOID – Back Over 37.5 boundaries for a 3/10 stake at 1.73 with William Hill
Back it here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021
