The Hobart Hurricanes need a victory to keep their BBL playoff hopes alive, while the Sydney Thunder are striving to hold their place in the top five as the regular season heads into a frantic final few days. We take a look at Friday’s (24/1/2020) BBL Big Bash 2020 match between Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder and take a look at both teams odds and give our tips and value tips for the match.
When: Friday, 24th January at 6:11PM
Where: Bellerive Oval
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Preview:
The teams met two weeks ago, with the Thunder prevailing by four wickets at home. George Bailey (43 off 30) top-scored in the Hurricanes total of 6/162. Alex Hales (55 off 36) and Alex Ross (32* off 22) spearheaded the Thunder’s successful chase.
But the 5-6-1 Thunder have lost two of their three matches since. They crashed to an eight-wicket loss in Perth on Monday, despite another blistering knock from Hales (85 off 59). The Scorchers cruised to the target of 154 with 27 balls to spare.
The 4-7-1 Hurricanes snapped a four-game losing streak with a clutch four-run win over the Renegades on Tuesday. Mac Wright (70* off 50) and Matthew Wade (66 off 29) put on 84 for the first wicket as the ’Canes racked up 3/190. Qais Ahmed (1/25) bowled superbly to help keep the hosts at bay – and their own semis chances afloat.
Crucially, James Faulkner and ODI rep D’Arcy Short return to Hobart’s line-up. Chris Tremain replaces the injured Brendan Doggett in the only change to Sydney’s side.
The Thunder need experienced campaigners Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja to reclaim their early-season form. Meanwhile, it’s hard to argue with the Hurricanes’ $1.76 favouritism.
The mercurial Short did not get a bat in India. But his last BBL knock was an unbeaten century against the Scorchers. Expect him to pick up where he left off.
Odds:
Tip: Sydney Thunder $2.08
Value BET: Man of the Match: Usman Khawaja at $10.00
Teams:
Hobart Hurricanes squad
Matthew Wade (c), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan), Jofra Archer (England), George Bailey, Scott Boland, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Jarrod Freeman, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, David Miller (South Africa – international replacement), David Moody, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D’Arcy Short, Aaron Summers.
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.
