A brilliant unbeaten 91 from Jason Sangha saw the Sydney Thunder shrug off pre-match COVID dramas as they upstaged the Adelaide Strikers in their annual New Year's Eve match
Match Report:
ScorecardSangha steals show to crash Adelaide's NYE party
Precocious Jason Sangha's mastery with the bat and golden arm with the ball have propelled the COVID-ravaged Sydney Thunder to a memorable 22-run win over the Adelaide Strikers on New Year's Eve.
The 22-year-old Sangha crunched six sixes in his career-best unbeaten 91, underpinning the Thunder's 3-187 at Adelaide Oval, before snaring his maiden KFC BBL wicket with his under-utilised wrist spin as the Strikers fell short in reply with 7-165.
The defeat leaves the Strikers with just one win from their six games, and serious batting problems to solve. They again claimed the Bash Boost point for leading at the halfway mark of the second innings – the fifth time they have done that this season – but their late-innings hitting continues to be an issue.
Sangha was snared on the fence on 13 but was reprieved when television replays revealed Matt Short's heel was on the rope.
Touted as a future Test star, Sangha has been showing his short-form prowess this summer, and smacked 78 off his last 33 balls. He was particularly savage on Strikers captain Peter Siddle (1-47) and under-performing import George Garton (0-47).
He combined well with fellow young star Ollie Davies, whose audacious back-foot, off-side six caused Rashid Khan (0-23) to lose his customary cool.
The pair added 79 off the last five overs of the Thunder innings and 119 off the last nine.
Davies, playing his first match of the season, made waves in his debut season last summer, but a thumb injury had kept him sidelined for the early stages of BBL|11, and it was only a COVID outbreak in the Thunder ranks that saw him drafted into the squad at the last minute.
The pair blasted 79 off the last five overs and 119 off the last nine to put the Thunder in the box seat.
The Strikers lost opener Matt Short for 16 but were well in the game at the halfway stage of their chase before set pair Matt Renshaw (38) and Jake Weatherald (31) holed out in quick succession, the home side's decision to take an early power surge backfiring.
Sangha was introduced in the 13th over and continued his golden evening, sending Tom Kelly (1) packing with his third ball.
Veteran finisher Jonathan Wells impressed with a quickfire 46 off 26 deliveries but his salvo was far too late considering the damage inflicted with the ball by Thunder spearheads Daniel Sams (4-33) and Saqib Mahmood (2-35).
It had been a chaotic build-up for the visitors. Four members of the Thunder squad tested positive for COVID-19, with regulars Alex Ross, Alex Hales and Tanveer Sangha all forced to sit the match out.
The match was only approved by South Australia Health earlier on Friday afternoon to go ahead under strict biosecurity measures, which included Thunder players needing to remain separate from each other and the Strikers' team.
The undermanned visitors were reduced to just four specialist batters, but it didn't matter with Sangha in sublime touch, well supported by makeshift opener Ben Cutting (37) and talented youngster Oliver Davies (26no).
Ben Cutting was promoted to the top of the order for the decimated Thunder, reduced to just four available specialist batters, and he overcame a blow to the helmet from a Daniel Worrall bouncer to thump 37.
"The Thunder had cases and we were able to test the whole team with PCR's and they were all clear. Going forward the competition needs to be nimble." - Dr Geoff Verrall, Strikers Team Doctor 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/oabYyy2Lqd— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 31, 2021
The Strikers looked on when Englishman Sam Billings, the Thunder's match-winner against Perth in Canberra three days earlier, was caught on the boundary for 18 in the 14th over, but from there Sangha and Davies took over.