Overview
The penultimate regular season match of BBL|03 sees the fifth staging of the ‘Sydney Smash’ local derby, and with still plenty to play for, for both teams. Though they will yet again miss the Big Finals, a win over their arch-rivals would see the Sydney Thunder finish with a better Net Run Rate than Adelaide, and maybe even the Melbourne Renegades.

For the Sydney Sixers, the motivation is obvious: lose, and they have to travel across the country to face the Perth Scorchers in Big Semi Final 2 on Wednesday February 5 in front of the loudest, most intimidating bunch of BBL fans in Australia. Win this local derby, and hope the undefeated Melbourne Stars remain that way against the Scorchers on Monday, and they can sit back and let Perth come to them for the semi.

The Sixers have been in very good form over their last three starts: two wins and the devastating super over loss to the Scorchers in Sydney on January 10. Their batting has been very good in those last few matches, but they will be without be without their skipper Steven Smith, who has been called into the Australian ODI squad. Even if he was released from the squad when Michael Clarke rejoins it in Adelaide, with an important tour of South Africa just around the corner, it’s highly unlikely Smith will be making the mercy dash back from Perth in time for this match.

The Thunder will be without their most economical bowler, Ajantha Mendis, after he was recalled to Sri Lanka for a national training camp, a la Lasith Malinga for the Stars. Mendis has been replaced by local allrounder, Ahilen Beadle, who was an Australian Under-19 rep alongside sometime Sixers skipper Moises Henriques, and Hobart captain Tim Paine. Luke Doran is also back in the Thunder squad, with Blake Dean dropping out and heading back to club cricket in the ACT.

Key Battle: Mike Hussey v Brett Lee
The old stagers will face off one last time in BBL|03, and both come into the match with a superb season for their respective sides already. Hussey has been a lone ranger for the Thunder at times this summer, scoring the most runs, with the highest score, from the most balls faced, and with the most boundaries hit, proving beyond any doubt that even though he’s getting a bit grey around the edges, he’s still a world class batsman.

While Lee hasn’t quite had the same level of success, he has taken wickets in four of the seven BBL games he’s played this summer, and continues to provide that intimidation factor by bowling well into the high 140 km/h range. Not bad for a 37 year-old and he’s already talking about playing in BBL|04 next summer.

Dark Horse: Moises Henriques
Henriques is one of the most frequent boundary hitters in the competition with 20 fours and 4 sixes, finding or clearing the rope every 5.4 balls. Of players who have faced more than 100 balls in BBL|03, Henriques has the fourth best strike rate in the comp, behind Luke Wright (3.8 balls/boundary), Travis Birt (4.9) and Aaron Finch (5.1). Throw in a more than handy partnership-breaking wicket-taking ability, and a safe set of hands, and Henriques is an understandably important player for the Sixers.

Last Time
December 21, 2013 @ SCG: The Thunder’s BBL|02 record was quickly forgotten as David Warner and Usman Khawaja (66) got them off to a brilliant start, and opening stand of 116 when Warner departed for 50 in just the 11th over. Unfortunately, no other batsman broke double figures, and the Thunder managed only 50 more runs from the remaining nine overs to set the Sixer 167 to win.

In reply, Nic Maddinson got the Sixers off to a flyer, and when he was out for 61 in the 11th over, the Sixers were well on the way. Ravi Bopara and Moises Henriques added an unbeaten 50 from 31 balls to secure the six-wicket win with ten balls to spare.

Facts and Figures
Usman Khawaja continues to be key figure for the Thunder. He top scored with 66 from 51 balls in Sydney Smash 04 earlier in the tournament, and is the only Thunder player to have played in all three of their wins.

Though they will run last in BBL|03, the Thunder has conceded fewer runs than five of the current top six teams. Only the Melbourne Stars and Adelaide Strikers have conceded fewer runs again than the Thunder. The big issue for the Thunder, is that in their seven innings, they’ve lost fewer than six wickets only once – their nine-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades.

The result of the match will likely revolve around the performances of key Sixers’ bats Michael Lumb and Moises Henriques. Along with Steve Smith, these two have five half centuries between them so far this season and a combined average of 32.75 and strike rate of 133.3

The Sixers are the only side in the top four with a negative for-and-against, averaging 151.9 runs every innings they’ve batted in BBL|03, but conceding 160.7 every time they bowl. The Thunder has averaged 134.4 runs each innings they’ve batted, but conceded 153.3 every time they bowl.

Broadcast: from 7:00pm AEDT on Channel Ten, and on Fairfax Radio Network.

Source: www.bigbash.com.au