Game two of the Friday BBL12 double header sees the Sydney Thunder looking to go 2-0 when they host the Adelaide Strikers. Both sides tasted victory in their opening games, who will remain undefeated after Friday night?
Jack Tobin is back on deck with his preview for Thunder vs Strikers, and be sure to check out BeforeYouBet's BBL Betting Tips for tips on every game this season.
BBL12 Thunder vs Strikers Preview & Betting Tips
Sydney Showground Stadium, Friday 16th December, 8:00pm (AEDT)
Sydney Thunder
Predicted XI: Alex Hales, Matthew Gilkes, Rilee Rossouw, Jason Sangha, Daniel Sams, Alex Ross, Oliver Davies, Chris Green, Gurinder Sandhu, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Brendan Doggett
They made it a lot tougher than it should have been, but the Thunder kicked off their campaign with a thrilling one wicket win over the Stars on the opening night of the season. Some brainless batting almost ruined an excellent bowling performance on a slow surface in Canberra, with it taking all 20 overs for the Thunder to chase down 122.
For a long time the Thunder have relied heavily on their top order batting to win them games, however it was the bowling attack that got the job done on Tuesday night. Gurinder Sandhu (2/23), Daniel Sams (2/21), and Chris Green (1/19) were outstanding, while the Thunder look like they’ve uncovered a serious talent in Fazalhaq Farooqi, who took 2/20. The left-armer from Afghanistan has some serious pace and delivers the ball from an awkward height, which caused plenty of trouble for the Stars batsmen.
There were no injuries to come out of Tuesday’s clash for the Thunder, Ben Cutting was left out of the eleven, however it’s hard to see them making many changes early in the tournament. The key for the Thunder will be getting more production out of their top order, with Matthew Gilkes (0), Alex Hales (16) and Rilee Rossouw (0) combining for just sixteen runs.
Adelaide Strikers
Predicted XI: Jake Weatherald, Matt Short, Chris Lynn, Adam Hose, Colin de Grandhomme, Thomas Kelly, Harry Nielsen (wk), Rashid Khan, Wes Agar, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle
The Strikers put together a huge performance with the bat against the Sixers on Wednesday night. After falling to 1/5 in after two overs, Matt Short (84 off 53), Chris Lynn (41 off 34) and Adam Hose (40 off 22) powered the Strikers to 6/184. Adam Hose and Colin de Grandhomme weren’t the highest profile imports, however they’ve made a huge impact early, and add depth to what looked like a top heavy outfit coming into the season.
The Strikers bowling attack backed up their batsmen, restricting a star studded Sydney Sixers side to 7/133 in the 51 run victory. Henry Thornton 4/20 and Rashid Khan tore through the Sixers batting unit, in a game the Strikers controlled from start to finish. The Strikers bowled perfectly to the conditions, consistently hitting hard lengths and not allowing the Sixers to hit to the short square boundaries.
If the Strikers batsmen perform as they did on Wednesday, they’re going to be one of the toughest sides to play against this season. Adam Hose and Colin de Grandhomme were under the radar signings, but they look to be vital parts of the Strikers side. With their bowling attack amongst one of the best in the league, the Strikers should be buoyant about their prospects this season.
Match Prediction
These teams matchup quite similarly - dominant top orders, quality bowling attacks and strong all rounders. The Thunder batting line up failed to produce on the opening night of the season, and the manner of their dismissals for most of their side was very concerning.
The Strikers on the other hand, produced a completely comprehensive performance in both facets of the game. Their batting unit has power right through the order with Short, Weatherald, Lynn, Hose, de Grandhomme and Rashid Khan. These are two evenly matched sides who are hard to split, but I can’t pass up on the Strikers after their dominant showing against the Sixers.
Adelaide Strikers
$2.00 (1 Unit)
BBL12 Same Game Multi
Matt Short started his BBL12 campaign in fine fashion, smashing 84 off 53 deliveries against the Sixers. Short’s knock featured 11 fours and 2 sixes, as he continued to go hard in the powerplay as he did last season. Our BBL Data Tool shows that Short has scored 20+ in seven of his last nine BBL innings.
Englishman Adam Hose made an immediate impact in his first game for the Strikers, scoring 40 off 22 with 2 sixes and 3 fours. Hose is coming off a dominant Vitality Blast campaign where he scored 557 runs at a strike rate of 160, with 28 sixes - the fourth most in the tournament. Hose is in six hitting form, and will be looking to target the short boundaries straight at the Sydney Showground Stadium.
Once again we’ll round out the multi with the first wicket to be caught, which has saluted in all four games so far this season.
Matt Short - 20+ Runs
Adam Hose - 1+ Six
Method of first dismissal, first innings - caught
