Saturday night’s BBL action sees the first Sydney Smash of the season as the Thunder host the Sixers at Engie Stadium. Both sides got off to winning starts, so we’re set for a cracking clash in western Sydney. As always, we have you covered with a full betting preview for the match which is set to get underway from 7:15pm AEDT.
BBL14 Thunder vs Sixers Betting Tips
Engie Stadium, Saturday 21st September, 7:15pm AEDT
Sydney Thunder
Predicted XI: David Warner, Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Oliver Davies, Sam Billings, Sherfane Rutherford, Chris Green, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Lockie Ferguson, Tanveer Sangha
A Daniel Sams masterclass in the 19th over lifted the Thunder off the canvas, to take them to a two wicket win against the Strikers. Needing 34 off the final 12 deliveries, Sams smashed Lloyd Pope for 31 runs, to take them from certain defeat to a certain victory in just one over.
Young prodigy Sam Konstas became the youngest player to score a half century in the BBL, and the fastest 50 by a Thunder player. His BBL debut produced 56 off 27 balls, and his dismissal was the turning point that saw the Strikers gain control. Konstas and David Warner will be a dynamic opening partnership that will challenge bowling attacks across the competition.
Lockie Ferguson produced an excellent performance on his debut for the Thunder, taking 3/24 from his four overs. Supporting the pace of Ferguson was the Thunder’s spin duo of Chris Green (3/27) and Tanveer Sangha (2/27). As it has been in previous seasons, the fourth and fifth bowlers were an issue for the Thunder with Nathan McAndrew (0/53) and Daniel Sams (0/44) leaking runs.
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Josh Philippe, James Vince, Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Lachlan Shaw, Joel Davies, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Todd Murphy
The Sixers opened up their season with a typical Sixers win, as their experience with both bat and ball showed in their five-wicket victory. Moises Henriques (53* off 27), James Vince (40 off 29), and Jack Edwards (37 off 28) set the base for the successful chase. Ben Dwarshius finished the chase with some brutal shots in an unbeaten 14 off 6.
The Sixers had a difficult night on the injury front with Dan Hughes suffering a season ending elbow injury, and Hayden Kerr retiring hurt with a hamstring injury. Kurtis Patterson will likely replace Hughes given the red-hot form he has been in this season, while import Akeal Hosein will likely be unavailable until the Sixers next game on Boxing Day, opening the door for youngster Lachlan Shaw to make his debut.
Youngster Joel Davies provided a brilliant spell of 1/24, changing the game after the Renegades were going at ten runs an over before he came on to bowl. The Sixers have a serious spin battery with Davies, Todd Murphy, Akeal Hosein and Jafer Chohan.
Match Prediction
The Sixers have dominated proceedings between the two Sydney sides, with a 17-7 head-to-head record over the Thunder. The Sixers have won five straight games against their crosstown rivals, having last lost against the Thunder in 2020.
The Thunder have serious star power however they lack the depth the Sixers have. The Thunder looked equally brilliant and average across their first game against the Strikers, but the Sixers have proven reliability across their entire eleven. If Warner and Konstas don’t get runs the Thunder are in a lot of trouble, the Sixers depth will be too strong for their crosstown rivals.
Sydney Sixers to Win
$1.72 (1.5 Units)
Prop Bet
Season after season James Vince churns out runs in the Big Bash, and he started his campaign with an excellent 40 against the Renegades. Over the past two seasons Vince has scored 244 runs at 30.50 and 263 runs at 37.57. Vince comes into the tournament in great form having been the leading run scorer in the Hundred with 424 runs at an average of 53.
James Vince: Sixers Top Run Scorer
$3.75
