Big Bash League 2020-21 (BBL 10), Match 7: Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat – Match Preview And Prediction

In the seventh match of the Big Bash League 2020-21 (BBL 10), Sydney Thunder will face Brisbane Heat at Manuka Oval (Canberra) on Monday (14th December) evening.

Both teams will play their second match of this new season. Both teams started this tournament with a defeat. So, both teams are looking for their first victory in this season.

Big Bash League 2020-21 (BBL 10), Match 7: Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat – Match Preview

Sydney Thunder

Sydney Thunder started the BBL 10 season with a 22-run defeat against Melbourne Stars during the third match of this tournament. Apart from Daniel Sams (2/24) and Chris Green (2/42), BBL debutant Tanveer Sangha (2/26) also picked up two wickets in their tournament opener.

Chasing down the 170 runs target in that game, though their opener Usman Khawaja was dismissed early for just 7 runs, another opener Alex Hales and captain Callum Ferguson put the controlling 69 runs partnership for the second wicket. While Hales scored 46 runs, Ferguson scored 54 runs off 35 balls. But the next batsmen hugely disappointed in the rising economy rate as only Alex Ross managed to register a double-digit score (18).

Though the New Zealand right-arm pacer Adam Milne has been named in the full squad of the upcoming match against Brisbane Heat, the Head Coach Shane Bond has also confirmed that Milne isn’t fit enough to play a match at least for a week.

Full Squad

Callum Ferguson (C), Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Baxter Holt, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain

Brisbane Heat

Brisbane Heat also started this new season with a 6-wicket defeat against Melbourne Stars. While none of their batsmen managed to reach the 30-run mark in their first innings in the BBL 10, though their bowlers provided a good start (Stars were struggling on 34/3) to defend a low-par total of 125 runs, Hilton Cartwright and skipper Glenn Maxwell snatched away that game.

However, Afghanistan cricketer Mujeeb Ur Rahman has joined the squad along with Mark Steketee and Jack Wildermuth, who were busy for Australia A in the two first-class warm-up matches against India, ahead of their second match of this season. They can be considered for the Thunder match after their fitness test.

While the right-arm pacer Mark Steketee claimed a 5-wicket haul (5/37) during India’s second innings in the first three-day warm-up game, allrounder Jack Wildermuth just scored a match-saving century (111*) in the fourth innings of the three-day day-night warm-up game against India.

Full Squad

Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Tom Cooper, Sam Heazlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Dan Lawrence, Ben Laughlin, Chris Lynn (C), Jimmy Peirson, Simon Milenko, Jack Wood, Lachlan Pfeffer, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mark Steketee and Jack Wildermuth

Big Bash League 2020-21 (BBL 10), Match 7: Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat – Match Prediction

Talking about their head-to-head records, while Sydney Thunder won only two matches, Brisbane Heat have already claimed 8 victories. However, in the last season, both teams managed to win their respective away matches.

Thunder have deep top-order batting line-up. Also, they have the good bowling line-up, but still need a good pace bowling partner for Daniel Sams. In overall, Thunder have the balanced T20 side than Heat.