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The 11th edition of Big Bash League is here, with eight teams fighting it out for the coveted T20 title in Australia. The second match of the season will witness a rematch of last year’s knockout, with Sydney Thunder taking on Brisbane Heat at Manuka Oval on Monday.
Sydney Thunder, who won the competition back in the 2015-16 season, have a strong side for this season. They had secured third place in the regular group stage, winning eight out of 14 games and claiming 31 points. However, they could not get past the knockout in the playoffs, losing to Brisbane Heat by seven wickets.
Heat are also one-time former champions, claiming the 2012-13 BBL title. Last season, they finished in fourth place in the group stage with seven wins and 29 points. They were magnificent in the playoffs, powering through Adelaide Strikers in the Eliminator by six wickets and then beating Thunder in the knockout.
Their inspiring run came to an end in the Challenger, where they lost the finals spot to Perth Scorchers by 49 runs on DLS method. Thunder will be eyeing for payback and to start their campaign on a winning note.
Key players
Despite not finding a place in the England team, Alex Hales continued to pile on runs in the T20 leagues around the globe. He has been fantastic against both pace and spin, has 8733 runs in the shortest format at an average of 31 and strike rate of 146.
The opening batter had smashed 576 runs in the 2019-20 BBL season and followed it up by topping the batting charts with 543 runs in the last edition at an average of 39 and strike rate of 162. In the absence of Khawaja, Hales will have a bigger responsibility for the Thunder.
Chris Lynn is amongst the most destructive batters in the shortest format of the game. The 32-year-old has amassed 5925 runs in his T20 career, averaging 31 while striking at 143.
Playing for Brisbane Heat since the inception, Lynn has smashed 2790 runs in the BBL at a magnificent average and strike rate of 37 and 151, respectively. He has scored over 350 runs in five of the last seven editions.
Daniel Sams earned himself a national call-up to Australia’s T20 side on the back of his performances in the BBL 10. A left arm pacer who’s an explosive hitter down the order, Sams is a valuable asset to this Thunder side. Sams claimed 11 wickets in 10 matches in the BBL 10, albeit at a high economy rate of 8.51.
He played some terrific knocks for Thunder, scoring 200 runs in the season at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 189, including two half-centuries. The all-rounder will once again be an important player in the team.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been one of the top spinners in the shortest format of the game with vast experience to his credit. The Afghan spinner has claimed 172 wickets in 153 T20 matches at a fantastic rate of 6.71 runs per over.
Mujeeb has done brilliant in the BBL in the last few years, picking 29 wickets from 26 games at a very economical 6.14 rpo. The 21-year-old mystery spinner snared 14 wickets for the Heat in the BBL 10 in just eight matches and will play a crucial role this time as well.
Prediction
The head to head record between Thunder and Heat is heavily dominated by Heat, who have won 10 out of the 13 clashes between the two.
Thunder will be without their captain Usman Khawaja, who is on national duty with Australia. Despite that, they have a very good unit. The three English imports – Hales, Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood, add immense strength to the side. Hales has been incredible in the league for the last two seasons. All-rounders Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams were terrific last season. In Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green, they have a good spin duo.
Heat have a good batting unit, comprising Lynn, Max Bryant and Sam Heazlett. They have added England’s Ben Duckett and Tom Abell to the side. But Abell’s availability could be in doubt due to the England Lions commitment.
Mark Steketee could also miss the first few games as he is with Australia ‘A’. Michael Neser will also be unavailable due to national duties. As a result, Heat’s bowling attack looks weak. Expect Sydney Thunder to come out victorious.
