The Sydney Thunder will host the Brisbane Heat at Sydney Showground on Friday evening for the first of five must-win Big Bash League finals matches.
The two sides, who finished fourth and fifth on the BBL ladder respectively, face off in The Eliminator to determine who progresses through to Sunday’s Knockout fixture against the Melbourne Renegades. The loser’s season is over.
MATCH CENTRE: Thunder vs Heat teams, scorecard, videos, updates
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Thunder opener David Warner, one of most prolific T20 batters in history, has been underwhelming this season with scores of 19, 0, 26, 16 and 2, but all would be forgiven if the veteran left-hander powers the men in lime green to victory.
“Looking back at our season, it has been a bit of a rollercoaster,” Thunder batter Jason Sangha said on Thursday.
“The one good thing is we’ve managed to find a way in those tight situations, we’re just finding ways to win.
“In the finals series, all you need is a couple of things to go your way.
“For us going forward, it’s just recognising those key moments in a game.”
Meanwhile, Heat captain Usman Khawaja comes up against his former club for the first time on Friday evening
“Usman is a world class figure, and he’s friends with everyone at Thunder,” Thunder batter Alex Ross said.
“However, it would be great to get him out cheaply to ensure he doesn’t score any runs at Sydney Showground Stadium and put us under pressure.
“He’s a class player, and it will be a great experience to play against him.”
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Thunder squad
Ben Cutting, Joel Davies, Oliver Davies, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green (c), Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Ross Pawson, Usman Qadir, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, David Warner, Sam Whiteman
Heat squad
Usman Khawaja (c), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Sam Hain, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson
