It is knockout cricket in the Big Bash League on Friday when the Eliminator contest opens up the final stage of the competition as the Sydney Thunder take on the Brisbane Heat with the winner heading to Melbourne for the Knockout on Sunday.
The Thunder have effectively played one knockout match in this tournament as they had to win their final regular season game to make it into this clash. Brisbane were the form team but slipped up in their last match.
Sydney Thunder
In the end the Sydney Thunder did well to make it into the top five. They won half of their matches but at no stage in this event have they looked convincing. There has been no consistency to their batting whatsoever and even in the match they had to win their batting wasn’t exactly on point. The positive was that they held their nerve together when the pressure was at its most intense in the match against the Melbourne Stars last time out.
The other positive was that their bowlers got the job done in that match. They really set the game up for the batters to cruise to victory. That wasn’t how it worked out but I guess with all the pressure that was on them it was never going to be a walk in the park. That win means that the Thunder aren’t just in this first postseason match but they get to host it however they have only won one match at the Sydney Showground Stadium this season which might not bode well.
Brisbane Heat
Brisbane Heat went into their final regular season match off the back of four wins on the spin. Technically they were playing to skip this round and move straight through to the Knockout and with that in mind their performance in defeat to the Hobart Hurricanes was a disappointing one, however I do think we should cut them some slack because after nine matches this term they were nowhere so knowing they had their place in this match secure going into that last game might just have taken their eye off the ball even if it was only subconsciously.
If Brisbane lost because their minds weren’t quite on that game then they should be confident about their chances here. There is a concern over their batting but it is only a slight one because although individual efforts have largely got them over the line in those four recent wins, it was different individuals doing the business. If their bowling holds up on a wicket which should suit them then the Heat might take a fair bit of beating here.
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Key Players
Daniel Sams was a significant player for the Sydney Thunder in their win in Melbourne on Wednesday evening and you get the feeling he will need to deliver with either the bat or the ball, and preferably both, if the home side are to progress here.
Marnus Labuschagne hasn’t really delivered what the Brisbane Heat would have expected him to so far and with this being his final game of the season for him regardless of what happens here, he will look to depart with a key performance.
Betting
These two met here much earlier in the season when the Sydney Thunder won by 10 wickets in an emphatic display, probably the only time in this campaign that the Thunder have been convincing with the bat. The only problem for them is that in that win Alex Hales walloped 59 in no time and he isn’t around for this match. The Thunder also won the return between the two but that was only two days later and obviously the outcome of the first one influenced the second one.
Much has changed since then though and the other scores of the Sydney Thunder on this ground this season concern me. In those matches they have scored 15, 133/8 and 111 which are totals which aren’t winning many matches. There is no getting away from the fact that the Thunder haven’t hit 150 in any match in January and I think that sways this one the way of the Brisbane Heat. They have the individuals to get the job done here but should that batting unit finally come together as one they could blow Sydney away. I’ll go with the overall form of the last few weeks and take Brisbane to come through here.
Tips
Back Brisbane Heat to beat Sydney Thunder for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with Boylesports
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