Sixth-placed Sydney Thunder takes on seventh-placed Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League 2020 (BBL 2020).
Sydney won by four wickets against Brisbane Heat in their last match. Chasing a tough target of 179, Daniel Sams smashed a whirlwind knock of 65 to guide his side home. Chris Green and Nathan McAndrew were expensive.
Perth scored 158 in 17 overs against Melbourne Stars in the previous game. However, rain played spoilsports and the match was abandoned.
Head to Head
Matches Played- 11, Sydney Thunder- 5, Perth Scorchers- 6,
Team News
Usman Khawaja needs to strike form to ease the pressure on the middle order. Sydney may not change their line-up for this clash though they have Adam Milne waiting in the wings.
Colin Munro and Ashton Turner have been in fantastic form for Perth.
Skipper, Mitchell Marsh needs to step up. Jhye Richardson is delivering the breakthroughs but needs more support from Joel Paris at the start.
Pitch and Conditions
The chasing team has won two out of three matches played in Canberra. Even totals of 180 are not safe on this pitch. The batsmen need to stick partnerships while the bowlers have to stick to a disciplined line and length.
Probable Playing XI
Sydney Thunder (THU): Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson, Alex Ross, Baxter Holt (wk), Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Jonathan Cook, Tanveer Sangha
Perth Scorchers (PRS): Josh Inglis, Colin Munro, Joe Clarke, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Joel Paris, Fawad Ahmed
Key Battles
Daniel Sams (THU) vs Fawad Ahmed (PRS)
Sams has rightfully adjudged the man of the match award for his heroic knock of 65 against Brisbane. He took the match deep and cleared the boundary with ease in the death overs. The hard work he has done with Ricky Ponting seems to have paid dividends.
Ahmed took one wicket and gave away 22 runs against Melbourne Renegades. The Pakistan-born leggie is known for his clever variations. He mostly operates in the middle-overs and can effectively control the run flow.
Ben Cutting (THU) vs Mitchell Marsh (PRS)
Marsh scored a golden duck in the previous match. The hard-hitting all-rounder is a vital cog in the middle order for Perth. He is highly capable of playing a breezy knock with his clean ball-striking ability.
Cutting bowled only 1 over in the last game and conceded 9 runs. The medium-pacer is known for his deceptive bouncers. Being a utility player, he is a proven match-winner who can trouble even the top batsmen on his day.
Prediction
Sydney has a deep batting-line up while Perth has a good set of bowlers who can do the damage. The winner of this match could stake a claim in any of the top four spots in the points table.
Cricwizz predicts Perth Scorchers to win the match
