The first Sydney Smash of BBL12 is here and it’s going to be a blockbuster clash, with both the Thunder and Sixers sitting inside the top 3! The Thunder come into this fixture on a four game winning streak, can they knock off their rivals to make it five in a row?
Jack Tobin has you covered with a full preview and tips for Sunday night's Sydney Smash, and make sure to head to BeforeYouBet's BBL Tips page for previews on every game this season. If you're having a dabble, why not bet with Dabble?
BBL12 Thunder vs Sixers Preview & Betting Tips
Sydney Showground Stadium, Sunday 8th January, 7:15pm (AEDT)
Sydney Thunder
Predicted XI: Matthew Gilkes, Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Oliver Davies, Alex Ross, Ben Cutting, Joel Davies, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Brendan Doggett, Usman Qadir
After starting the season 1-3, the Thunder have peeled off four consecutive wins to launch themselves back up the table sitting in third place at the time of writing. Their most recent win was their best of the season, knocking off the ladder leading Scorchers away from home. The Thunder controlled the majority of the contest in the six wicket win, after restricting the Scorchers to 9/142.
Nathan McAndre (3/29), Chris Green (1/15) and Brendan Doggett (1/28) put the Scorchers on the back foot early, restricting the Scorchers to 4/28. Ollie Davies (58 off 47) and Alex Ross (41* off 18) steadied the ship after a rocky start with the bat, to ensure the Thunder picked up a comfortable victory with three overs to spare.
The Thunder’s batting unit has been excellent in their four game winning streak posting scores of 0/124 (11.4 overs), 6/182, 6/228 and 4/143 (17 overs). The Thunder have four players ranked inside the top 21 run scorers in BBL12 with Alex Hales (245 runs, 4th), Ollie Davies (226 runs, 9th), Matthew Gilkes (164 runs, 17th) and Alex Ross (157 runs, 21st). The Thunder are getting even contributions across their entire batting unit, and they’ll need to call on that depth against a quality Sixers attack.
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Josh Philippe, James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Dan Christian, Hayden Kerr, Sean Abbott, Chris Jordan, Todd Murphy, Steven O’Keefe
Steven O’Keefe was managed for Friday night’s match against the Stars, and should return to take on the Thunder. The Sixers have selected their spinners based on matchups, and with the Thunder having two left handers in their top three, it looks likely that Todd Murphy will partner O’Keefe.
A James Vince masterclass guided the Sixers home in a thrilling victory on Friday night against the Melbourne Stars. The Sixers looked in trouble requiring ten an over through the second half of the innings, however Vince (91* off 59) hit Trent Boult for consecutive sixes in the seventeenth over to break the game open. Jordan Silk and Dan Christian hit boundaries in the final over to secure a crucial win for the Sixers, as a three way battle for top place begins to take shape.
Sean Abbott was the pick of the Sixers bowlers on Friday night with 3/31, however Chris Jordan, Dan Christian and Hayden Kerr all conceded over ten runs an over. With the conditions favourable to bowlers at the Showground Stadium, it’s crucial that the Sixers seamers are on the money after an off night against the Stars. They’re an experienced unit who have done well over a long time in this competition, and it’s difficult to see them producing another poor performance.
Match Prediction
This looks set to be one of the most even clashes between the two Sydney franchises that we’ve ever seen. With the well known inclement weather that’s ruined the Sydney Test, fans will be crossing their fingers to hopefully see some action. The forecast does look promising, with only light showers forecasted.
The Sixers have had the better of their crosstown rivals, winning five of their last seven games against the Thunder. Despite both teams being in great form with the bat, the pitch at the Sydney Showground Stadium has been a nightmare for batsmen this season. With some inclement weather around as well, this looms as a low scoring battle, with the result likely coming down to which bowling unit can execute best in favourable conditions. With the quality seamers the Sixers have in Abbott, Jordan, Kerr and Christian, they’ll have the edge in what should be a cracking contest.
Same Game Multi
To kick off the multi, we’re riding with the hot hand of the Sixers star import. James Vince is having an outstanding season, with 258 runs at an average of 43 in BBL12. Vince has scored 91, 49, 31, 26 and 33 from his last five games this season, and has scored 31 and 38 in his last two games against the Thunder.
Matthew Gilkes is flying under the radar this season, and has played a massive role in the Thunder’s purple patch of form. Our BBL Data Tools show that Gilkes has scored above 32 in each of his last four games, with 158 runs at an average of 39.5 in the four game winning streak.
To finish off the multi, we’re taking the ever reliable first wicket to be caught. At the time of writing, this has saluted in fourteen of the last fifteen games in BBL12.
James Vince 15+ Runs
Matthew Gilkes 15+ Runs
First Wicket Caught 1st Innings - Yes
