Thursday, December 29, at the Carrara Oval in Queensland, Sydney Thunder completed the double over Brisbane Heat with an 11-run victory. James Bazley’s 4 for 22 and Colin Munro’s 53-ball 98 both ended in failure. After being asked to bat first and scoring 182/6, Thunder held the Heat to 171/9 to earn their third victory in five games. The Thunder’s top bowler, Nathan McAndrew, finished with a 4-31.
Matthew Gilkes and Rilee Rossouw provided Thunder with a strong foundation while Alex Hales was dismissed for a 11-ball 9, putting on a half-century stand to aid their side’s steady advancement. Gilkes and Rossouw made sure the middle-order batters had the foundation to score heavily in the final few overs despite having a partnership strike rate of just over 120.
Alex Ross played a useful hand of 25 off 12, but Thunder needed a big innings to help them finish strong at 136/4 at the end of the 17th over. Daniel Sams delivered precisely that, scoring a 36-run unbeaten innings off just 15 balls that featured two fours and four sixes. As Sams effectively used the long handle, Mitchell Swepson scored 21 in the 18th over and Mark Steketee conceded 17 in the 19th. Thunder passed the 180-run threshold despite Bazley keeping things tight in the final over and also taking two wickets, presenting a challenge for the Heat.
