The Heat return home to the Gabba with a bumper crowd of 25,000 expected for their crucial KFC BBL|13 clash with the Thunder
All you need to know: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder
Match facts
Who: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder
What: Match 16, BBL|13
Where: The Gabba, Brisbane
When: Wednesday, December 27. Bat flip at 5.30pm local (6.30pm AEDT), first ball at 6.15pm local (7.15pm AEDT)
How to watch: Channel Seven, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Donovan Koch (field), Simon Lightbody (field), Mike Graham-Smith (third), Nathan James (fourth), Kepler Wessels (match referee)
Match squads
Heat: Colin Munro (New Zealand) (c), Xavier Bartlett, Sam Billings (England), Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Jordan Buckingham, Hugo Burdon, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Swepson, Paul Walter (England)
Thunder: Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green (c), Alex Hales (England), Liam Hatcher, Zaman Khan (Pakistan), Nathan McAndrew, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha
Form guide
Heat: WWDWL (most recent first)
Undefeated from their three games this season (with one no result), a fourth win would solidify their spot at the top of the BBL|13 standings. Last season's runners-up have emerged as the strongest contenders for the title alongside BBL powerhouses the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers.
Thunder: WLLLW
Earned their first win of BBL|13 by chasing down the Stars' 172 with 10 balls to spare in Albury two days before Christmas. Will be after a better showing with the bat this time round against the Heat after failing to chase down their 7-151 in their season opener against Brisbane on December 12.
KFC BBL|13 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HEA
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.972 | 0 | 16 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.339 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.725 | 0 | 13 |
|
4
STR
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.331 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
HUR
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.268 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
STA
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.051 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
REN
|
10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | -0.288 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | -0.652 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
Players to watch
Pakistan slinger Zaman Khan is a constant highlight reel in BBL|13 with his dazzling yorker proving near unplayable for Big Bash batters. Even Glenn Maxwell couldn't keep it out as Zaman claimed 3-24 in the Thunder's last match against the Stars. The right-armer is equal second on the tournament's wickets tally with six, with four of those scalps yorkers.
Brisbane Heat's bowlers have taken the most wickets (26) so far in BBL|13, bowling out both the Stars and the Thunder while having the Renegades eight down from their 20 overs with two run outs. And it's been contributions from all bowlers that's done the damage with 'Tall Paul' Walter (6), Xavier Bartlett (6) and Mitch Swepson (6) all level with Zaman in second spot on the BBL|13 wicket-takers list. Matthew Kuhnemann and Michael Neser also have three apiece, with Kuhnemann, Walter and Swepson all operating with an economy under seven runs per over.
Allrounder Hugo Burdon re-joins the Heat squad as a local replacement player for injured pace bowler Will Prestwidge (side). Respective captains Colin Munro (Heat) and Chris Green (Thunder) will both wear '0' on their playing shirts, and the two clubs will contest the Road Safety Cup, in support of the goal to drive the road toll Towards Zero by 2050.
Head-to-head
Overall: Heat (12 wins), Thunder (7 wins), no result (1)
At the Gabba: Heat (4 wins), Thunder (2 wins), no result (1)
Most runs: Chris Lynn (589), Usman Khawaja (254), Jimmy Peirson (216), Shane Watson (215), Michael Hussey (212)
Most wickets: Daniel Sams (17), Chris Green (15), Mark Steketee (12), Tanveer Sangha (10), Gurinder Sandhu (9)
The venue
Rapid stats
- Brisbane Heat have won each of their last two BBL matches against the Sydney Thunder, as many as they won across their seven meetings in the competition prior to that span.
- Sydney Thunder have a batting false shot rate of 33 per cent this BBL season, the best of any team in the tournament and five percentage points lower than the Brisbane Heat (38 per cent).
- Paul Walter (Brisbane Heat) has scored 89 per cent of his runs from boundaries this season, the best rate of any player in BBL|13 (minimum five runs scored).
- Alex Ross (Sydney Thunder) has a batting dot ball rate of 19.5 per cent from 41 balls faced this season, the best of any player in BBL|13 (minimum 25 balls faced).
- Alex Hales (98) is two away from registering 100 sixes in the Big Bash League. He will be the first overseas player to reach the milestone and fifth overall if he achieves the feat in this match.
What's on the line?
Victory would keep the Heat's undefeated record intact this season and put them on top of the BBL|13 standings, while consecutive wins for the Thunder would see them jump the Strikers into the top four.
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