Optus Stadium will play host to Thursday's Round 5 BBL game between Perth Scorchers and Sydney Thunder. The game kicks off at 9:15 pm with Perth Scorchers heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Thunder game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Thursday January 6, 2022 at 9:15 pm

Where: Optus Stadium

Bet: Bet On This Match HERE

Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Odds

Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Preview

In-form rivals Perth Scorchers and Sydney Thunder lock horns for the second straight week. And it’s the BBL ladder-leading Scorchers who are out for redemption after suffering their only loss of the campaign to the Thunder.

A 113-run stand between Sam Billings (67 off 35) and Jason Sangha (56* off 46) guided the Thunder to 7/200, with Matthew Kelly (3/30) the pick of the Scorchers attack. Colin Munro (64* off 43) and Andrew Tye (44 off 25) righted the Scorchers’ ship after a top-order collapse but they ultimately fell 34 runs short. Nathan McAndrew claimed three wickets for the Thunder, while Chris Green and Saqib Mahmood had two each.

The high-flying sides have both won two from two since that fixture.

The 8-1 Scorchers have taken a handy lead at the top of the table after victories over the Stars (50 runs) and Sixers (10 runs). They were late replacements for the Heat on the Gold Coast on Tuesday, but Aaron Hardie (45 off 24) and Andrew Tye (3/17) led the BBL’s nomads to a crunch win over the defending champs.

Back-to-back wins over the Strikers have promoted the Thunder to third on the ladder. A sensational 91* off 55 from Jason Sangha and Daniel Sams’ four wickets spearheaded a 22-run success in Adelaide on New Year’s Eve. Opener Matthew Gilkes blasted 93 off 57 in a 28-run victory in Sydney on Monday, but import Mohammad Hasnain’s triple-wicket maiden in his first BBL over stole the headlines.

Handy import bowler Tymal Mills has played his last game this season, returning to England. Superstar all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is also unavailable being called back into the Australian Test camp.

Meanwhile, Billings and fast bowler Saqib Mahmood line up for the Thunder for the last time in BBL|11 ahead of their upcoming England ODI duties. Alex Ross has completed his COVID isolation but has not been named for tonight’s showdown.

The Thunder are still waiting for English powerhouse Alex Hales to fire, posting a high-score of just 35 so far. But the form of their other top-order batters and the disruptions to the Scorchers’ line-up put the Thunder in a strong position as sizeable underdogs on neutral ground.

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Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Tip