Top spot is on the line in the Big Bash League on Wednesday when the teams in second and third in the table face off as the Sydney Thunder host the Hobart Hurricanes in a really good looking contest at the Sydney Showground.
Both these sides have had promising campaigns so far and are looking in a good place to make the top four and extend their season. A win here would switch the target to securing a top two finish and two goes at reaching the final.
Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder have had a much better season than last time around regardless of what happens in their final four matches but with a 4-2 record to date they will be eager to ensure they make the playoffs and really rebound from a campaign that yielded just one win last term. The Thunder did lose their last match from a promising position though so they’ll be keen to get back on the winning trail in this one.
We are at that stage of the season where there is a lot of chopping and changing to squads with Test players returning and some players leaving for other competitions but the Thunder haven’t lost anyone ahead of this match and will have a couple of key players returning to the squad. That was needed because they are still feeling the effects of that horrendous collision between Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft last week which have left both on the sidelines since, and they will miss this match too.
Hobart Hurricanes
While the Sydney Thunder have rebounded well from a terrible season last term, the Hobart Hurricanes are the surprise packages of the campaign for me, even more so when you consider the absolute hash that they made of their opening game where they put in one of the more naïve batting displays you will see for a team with the talent that they have at their disposal. Four wins since then have them sitting very pretty and with five games in quick succession to round out the regular season, if they can stay on the roll they are on they should give themselves a great chance of the title.
The good thing for Hobart is that they don’t need to smash opponents out of the water with the bat to win games because they have a very solid bowling unit, arguably the best in the competition particularly towards the end of an innings, so if they can just put up above par totals they will win more matches than they lose. It helps having the firepower with the bat that they do though because if even one of them comes off they can create carnage in the opposition bowling processes.
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Key Players
Sam Konstas has returned to the Sydney Thunder squad after the Test series between Australia and India and with his elevated status in this part of the world this is another chance for him to show the undoubted quality that he has got.
Tim David reminded us all of his finishing ability in the last match for the Hobart Hurricanes. When he plays himself in and gets a start he can create all kinds of carnage even on these grounds which are big for most batters.
Betting
It is the sixes which interests me in this match. We have a couple of deep and aggressive batting units on display here where hitting big is very much the order of the day. Sydney Thunder have made 160 or more in five of their six matches while the Hobart Hurricanes have cleared that total in their last three matches so there are runs in these sides, not least when you consider that Sydney Thunder have Sam Konstas back to balance out their batting much more.
The sixes line is 11.5 for this one and we can get the over at even money. Hobart Hurricanes are averaging seven sixes per innings this season despite making an absolute mess of their first one so that tells us that the Hurricanes are clean hitters of the ball, although we knew that because they have set their stall out to hit big. The Thunder aren’t shy of hitting big either with the likes of Konstas, David Warner, Sherfane Rutherford and Sam Billings among others all big hitters of the ball. The first match on this ground had 14 sixes and with an aggressive Hobart side on show I fancy we’ll see a dozen of them here.
Tips
Back Over 11.5 sixes for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Boylesports
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