The Sydney Thunder are determined to prove their doubters wrong and insist they’re not a team in crisis after a “crazy” Big Bash fixture that saw them bowled out for 15.
Friday night’s match against the Adelaide Strikers will be talked about for years to come as the men in lime green capitulated in the most spectacular fashion to be routed in 35 balls.
It was the lowest Twenty20 score by a professional team and a humiliating scorecard that set the cricketing world alight.
But given the fickle nature of T20 cricket, players have moved on quickly and believe there is little to be gained from over-analysing an innings that featured five edges through to Strikers wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen.
“There is no point kicking the can about it,” Thunder spinner Chris Green told the Herald. “We’ve got to continue to be positive. It’s important that we stick together. Life’s not that bad. It’s just a loss.
“It was a bit of a crazy night, but it’s a loss nonetheless. I wake up feeling the same way after any loss. I’m not someone who enjoys losing at the best of times. I think it’s important as a group to just see it as a loss and move on. It was a crazy scorecard for sure but if we dwell on that loss we can read into it and try and find things that aren’t actually happening.”
The scoreboard told the story on Friday evening. Credit:Getty Images
The easiest way to nullify the pain of a harrowing defeat is to get back out in the middle and the Thunder get the chance to restore their reputation with a match against the Melbourne Renegades on Sunday night at Marvel Stadium.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to play tomorrow against Melbourne and an opportunity to strike back against the Strikers in Adelaide on Tuesday,” Green said.
“No one was too despondent last night. There’s no panic stations or writing on the wall.”
Coach Trevor Bayliss could have kicked bins over and sprayed his players after a number of rash shots outside off stump in pursuit of a modest target of 140. Instead, the former England coach instructed players in the dressing room to let it go.
Wes Agar after taking one of his wickets against the Sydney Thunder.Credit:Getty Images
That’s easier said than done, given the calamitous nature of an innings that lasted all of 30 minutes. But dwelling on the collapse won’t help the group with ambitions of bettering their third place finish at the end of the regular season last year.
“It’s got to make them more determined,” Bayliss said. “You need to go into the next game determined to right the wrong. If we go into the next game thinking about what happened out there it’s going to take longer to get out of it.
“They’re all very good players who have scored plenty of runs in the past. It won’t be easy, but someone has got to go out [against Renegades] and lead the way. We have very good players … top quality internationals and others who scored plenty of runs last year.
“The talent is there … we need to put it down to one of those things.”
Green said friends and family offered their support after the Thunder were bowled out for the lowest total in all professional cricket since Surrey were dismissed for 14 against Essex at Chelmsford in 1983.
“They support us because of who we are, not what we do,” Green said. “It’s very easy to jump on and throw shade when things go that way but the majority of us have received an outpouring of support and genuine care. There were so many members that hung around after the game for autographs.
“We literally played and missed at one ball. Gurinder [Sandhu] was the only one who played and missed. They bowled well. They hit the right areas well.”
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