We are back to a single game in the Big Bash League on Tuesday and it sees two of the bottom three teams in the league meeting at the Sydney Showground Stadium as the Sydney Thunder look to come off the bottom of the table when they host the Brisbane Heat.
These two teams have one win to their name this season but the Heat have played a game less than their opponents so they are probably in a better position going into the game, not least because their win was last time out.
Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder got off to a winning start this season but they have dropped their three latest outings, and in truth they should really have lost their opening game having thrown away a very good position. They have lacked consistency both in selection and performance but they have had seven days without a match, which in these franchise competitions is very rare, to assess where they have gone wrong and come up with ways to put it right.
The big thing they need to do is sort their batting order out. Unless he is carrying an injury it is a surprise that Ben Cutting hasn’t been utilised yet because he can balance the team with the bat and the ball, although to be fair Nathan McAndrew didn’t do a bad job with that last time out. There isn’t a lot coming from the top order though apart from the obligatory Alex Hales half century in Adelaide which he always seems to deliver. It is starting to impact them with the ball too which is a concern.
Brisbane Heat
The Brisbane Heat have gone about their season in the opposite way. They opened up with a pair of defeats but then they came good last time out against the Adelaide Strikers. To be fair to the Heat, in both of those defeats they ran into brutal blitzes from Andre Russell and there isn’t a great deal any team can do about that other than hope they don’t encounter one. When they didn’t have to face him they picked up a win.
I still don’t think we’ve seen the best of the Brisbane Heat with the bat in this competition but the positive is that Sam Billings has caught form. He looks one of the standouts in the team so to have him going well is no bad thing. Fortunately they have Michael Neser available for this match so they do have some threat with the ball but they will be without the injured James Bazley which isn’t ideal given his 3-D offerings.
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Key Players
While the rest of the Sydney Thunder batting unit are finding their feet it is imperative that Alex Hales continues his good form, both to keep the scoreboard moving at the top of the innings as well as take the pressure off those who come after him.
Sam Billings looked very good against the Adelaide Strikers last time out and now he goes up against his former team which always adds a little bit of juice to the fire of a player. He’ll know this attack very well and will fancy another big score.
Betting
I’m not convinced by the Sydney Thunder at the minute and although Usman Qadir could be a useful addition to their ranks, especially with the Brisbane Heat not the best players of spin, the loss of Fazalhaq Farooqi probably levels that out a little bit. In an ideal world the Brisbane Heat would have everyone fit and there is no doubt that James Bazley being out isn’t great but if they bat well they won’t need him with the bat and I think there is enough in them to get what they need with the ball.
The Brisbane Heat have enough with the ball to keep the Sydney Thunder honest and they certainly have the batting to get the job done in this match. The big thing for me is the Sydney Thunder aren’t batting well and if Michael Neser and Mark Steketee can get stuck in with the new ball then this has the makings of another long evening for the Thunder. Their batting resources seem to be getting lighter and lighter whereas Brisbane look to be getting stronger. I think the visitors can win this.
Tips
Back Brisbane Heat to beat Sydney Thunder for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with William Hill
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