The Sydney Thunder are hoping a “jealous” David Warner will be able to emulate the feats of his Australian Test teammate Steve Smith and lift the side to victory over the Melbourne Renegades on Thursday night.
Smith was in outstanding form earlier this week, becoming the first player in Sixers’ history to reach triple figures.
Thunder vice-captain Alex Ross says there’s no doubt Warner would have seen what his good mate would have achieved in the BBL.
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“We saw Steve Smith make a hundred for the Sixers; we’re hoping Davey can do the same. I know he’ll feel a little jealous now,” he said.
Ross described Warner as like a “12-year-old kid running around the room” given his enthusiasm within the squad since returning after the Australian Test summer ended.
“The amount of knowledge he has, just from the broad amount of experience of games [is unbelievable]. He was talking about things in a batting meeting that no one had even heard of,” he revealed.
David: ‘It was pretty friendly…’ | 00:28
“It really was great to be exposed to that kind of experience. We walk a whole lot taller with Davey in the side, without a doubt.”
It’s been a tough few days for Warner after he came under scrutiny for his “friendly” shove on Matt Wade in his side’s loss to the Hurricanes.
Luckily the opener, who had earlier registered his first duck in his Thunder career, escaped sanction from the match review.
Warner shoves Wade in ‘demonstration’ | 01:12
The Thunder will face a fired up Renegades outfit who kept their finals hopes alive with a thrilling victory in the Melbourne derby.
But the ‘Gades still have issues at the top of the order that the Thunder will look to expose early.
Ross described Thursday night’s encounter as “crucial” for his side given the current BBL logjam after first-placed Perth and the second-placed Sixers.
SQUADS
Thunder: Ben Cutting, Joel Davies, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green (c), Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Ross Pawson, Usman Qadir, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, David Warner, Sam Whiteman.
Renegades: Aaron Finch (c), Fawad Ahmed, Matt Critchley, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Martin Guptill, Sam Harper, Mackenzie Harvey, Ruwantha Kellapotha, David Moody, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells.
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