The third-placed Adelaide Strikers have been waiting patiently for their appearance in the BBL09 playoffs. But they face a Sydney Thunder outfit with considerable momentum behind them in The Knockout. We take a look at Saturday’s (1/2/2020) BBL Big Bash Finals 2020 match between Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder and take a look at both teams odds and give our tips and value tips for the match.
When: Saturday, 1st February at 7:41PM
Where: Adelaide Oval
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Preview:
The winner will face the loser of the 1 v 2 Stars-Sixers clash. The loser is done for the season.
The 8-5 Strikers sealed their spot in the finals with four straight wins, before losing their last regular-season fixture to the Hurricanes by 10 runs. Phil Salt (66 off 33) top-scored for the Strikers’ second game in a row and in-form skipper Travis Head (47 off 37) and keeper Alex Carey (39 off 24) contributed strongly, but the lower order faltered in chasing the target of 218.
The 6-7-1 Thunder’s patchy regular season ended with a clutch seven-wicket DLS win over the Scorchers at home. Alex Hales (47 off 27) played a starring role with the bat.
The Sydneysiders then ventured to Hobart for The Eliminator and pumped the Hurricanes by 57 runs. Dynamic Englishman Hales (60 off 37) was the Thunder’s top scorer for the fourth straight game as they reached 5/197. Crucially, though, the out-of-form Usman Khawaja (54 off 34) and Callum Ferguson (33 off 22) also found some touch. Meanwhile, Jonathan Cook claimed man-of-the-match honours after taking 4/21.
These team’s initial clash this season in Canberra was cut short due to bushfire smoke. Jonathan Wells’ 55* off 32 steered the Strikers to a total of 5/161. The Thunder were 1/40 – and just four balls from a D/L victory – before the smoke intervened. The match was declared a no result.
The Thunder snared a three-run win in Adelaide 10 days later on New Year’s Eve. Ferguson’s blistering 73 off 46 and Khawaja 63 off 50 underpinned the visitors’ 5/168. Jake Weatherald (52 off 37) and Rashid Khan (40 off 18) brought the Strikers agonisingly close to victory.
Wells (444 runs at 74) and Jake Weatherald (389 at 29.92) have been the Strikers’ most prolific batsman this season. Hales (509 at 39.15) has stormed to second in the BBL standings, with Ferguson (368 at 33.45) the Thunder’s next best.
The Thunder’s Daniel Sams (27 wickets at 14.59) is the BBL’s top wicket-taker with teammate Chris Morris (18 at 20.77) fourth. Rashid Khan (18 at 20.66) and Peter Siddle (17 at 19.11) have been the Stirkers’ key bowlers.
The Strikers are 4-3 at Adelaide Oval this season. The Thunder are 4-3 on the road – and their win in Tasmania gives them a great springboard to salute as $2.33 outsiders. Meanwhile, it’s difficult for punters not to get carried away with Hale’s heroics.
Odds:
Tip: Adelaide Strikers $1.57
Value BET: Man of the Match: Phil Salt at $9.00
Teams:
Adelaide Strikers squad
Travis Head (c), Wes Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Harry Conway, Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Liam O’Connor, Phil Salt (England), Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jon Wells, Cameron White, Nick Winter.
Sydney Thunder squad
Callum Ferguson (c), Jonathan Cook, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales (England), Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris (South Africa), Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain.