The Big Bash League continues with one more match on Monday which takes us to The Gabba for the clash between the defending champions Brisbane Heat and a Sydney Thunder side who are going along nicely this term.
The Thunder are going so well this season that they will move to the top of the table if they come away with a win here. The Heat would move into the top four should they win the game so there is plenty on the line in this one.
Brisbane Heat
This hasn’t been the season that the Brisbane Heat would have wanted as they bid to defend the title. To be fair, they started it looking like they might very well go back-to-back when they won their opening two matches but they have lost three since then and saw their latest game washed out so while they are not out of wiggle room yet, they are getting closer to a position where they can’t afford to lose many more games if they are going to finish in the top four.
The big problem for the Heat in these three matches that they have lost is that their batting hasn’t put up 150 in any of them. Even in this competition with the nuance of the power surge and things if you aren’t clearing the 150 mark you are leaving your bowling exposed. To be fair, that bowling unit has performed as well as it could have been expected to when you consider that they have missed a bowler or two at different times this season.
Sydney Thunder
I think it is fair to say that when you consider how they went last season, the biggest surprise package of this campaign is the Sydney Thunder given that they have gone from one win all of the previous year to four wins in five this time around. I’m not surprised because they were my tip for the title and while I probably didn’t expect them to win four of their opening five matches, I certainly expected them to be as competitive as they have been.
The Thunder have won a couple of matches that they have rescued from the dead so their record could have been worse than it is but the only team that has beaten them so far have been the table topping Sydney Sixers. The Thunder will have to do without two more key players who were added to a lengthy injury list after that sickening collision between Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft in the win over the Perth Scorchers last time out.
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Key Players
Max Bryant is one of few Brisbane Heat batters who are showing good form at the minute. The defending champions will need another big innings out of their middle order batter if they are going to put Sydney under pressure.
David Warner took a few games to find his feet this season but now it looks like he is into a batting rhythm and scores of 86* and 49 make him a dangerous man for the Brisbane Heat here. If the Sydney skipper can get going he could soon have the champions on the back foot.
Betting
When I was preparing to write a preview for this match I was always thinking of approaching it with regards to a low scoring match but I was worried the line would be a little on the low side. I’m happy to report that isn’t the case with the line being at 321.5 which I believe doesn’t take into account the fact that Sydney Thunder have lost two of their top seven in that monster collision last time out, which has had such an impact that Dan Christian, an assistant coach who has been retired for a couple of years, has had to be activated to make up the squad.
The Brisbane Heat have really struggled for form with the bat the longer the season has gone on and in the three matches here only one has covered this total and that was when the Adelaide Strikers were in town with their powerful, aggressive batting unit and a bowling department which probably isn’t at the level required. Since then the totals have been 280 and 302. If the Heat can keep tabs on David Warner and Sam Billings I don’t see this one getting near 321.5 runs the way these two are batting and the injuries which have suddenly come along.
Tips
Back Under 321.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.85 with Betway
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