27/12Result
17th Match (N), Big Bash League at Sydney, Dec 27 2022
Thunder won by 10 wkts (50b rem)
Player of the Match
Matthew GilkesSydney Thunder
27/12Result
17th Match (N), Big Bash League at Sydney, Dec 27 2022
Thunder won by 10 wkts (50b rem)
Player of the Match
Matthew GilkesSydney Thunder

10.02pm Gilkes is Player of the Match: "That's cricket I guess, nice to get out there and chase it down none-down. We got the better of the conditions, nipping around, a little up and down, Once the dew settled down, it was beautiful."

Hales: "It was amazing, not often as openers we get to take the power surge. It's a long tournament, 14 games, so not end of the world if you don't get off to a flyer. This is the business end now, we feel confident, bowlers bowling well and finding some form with the bat."

And with that. that's a wrap. Thanks for joining us, see you next time!

9.54pm Well, that's one way to atone for the humiliation of 15 all out. Back on the same ground, and a transformed performance from Sydney Thunder. Hales and Gilkes serving up a different brand of humiliation to Brisbane Heat. A ten-wicket tonking, with 49 balls to spare. Easy game! 121 never looked like being competitive, in spite of a two-paced pitch, and once Gilkes had got through his sticky run of form with a range of flowing drives in the powerplay, the result was never in any doubt. Chris Green set the tone with 2 for 14 in four overs, straight through, before Daniel Sams clogged up Heat's intentions at the death.

Jack: "Being a Heat fan is a tough gig Miller. Good one day, utterly useless the next…"

Further to Afeef's comment, here is confirmation of Hales' record as the leading four-scorer in T20 history... a certain Chris Gayle has hit 600 more sixes though!

11.4
4
Steketee to Hales, FOUR, heaved off the hips, through fine leg, and that's that!
11.3
0
Steketee to Hales, no run, banged in short. Well, why not
11.2
4
Steketee to Hales, FOUR, sits back and ... is that it... no, inches short! One bounce, six inches short of the boundary at long-on... Another shot needed to seal it
11.1
4
Steketee to Hales, FOUR, down the track, a huge wipe off the length ball, a fat snick past the keeper, and that's his fifty!

Hales, with a fifty to reach

END OF OVER:
11 | 25 Runs | ST: 112/0 (10 runs required from 54 balls, RR: 10.18, RRR: 1.11)

  • Matthew Gilkes56 (34b)
  • Alex Hales47 (32b)
  • Mitchell Swepson3-0-40-0
  • Michael Neser3-0-31-0

Did I say five overs? I suspect two is plenty...

10.6
6
Swepson to Gilkes, SIX, a third six in the over! Another skip to the pitch, launched straighter and flatter than the others, but the identical result!
10.5
0
Swepson to Gilkes, no run, skids through, into a back-foot chop into the covers
10.5
1w
Swepson to Gilkes, 1 wide, fired past the legs
10.4
6
Swepson to Gilkes, SIX, blatted high into the stands once more! Up comes his fifty, the hundred stand too, with a wonderful strike. Looks like he's taken out a spectator at wide long-on, right on the schnozz! Not the greatest crowd catch, but a memorable attempt! Claret everywhere, but a thumbs-up!
10.3
4
Swepson to Gilkes, FOUR, drags the length back, Gilkes rocks back and hammers his cut through the covers!
10.2
6
Swepson to Gilkes, SIX, down the track and monstered! Up, up and over the long-on boundary, good footwork, straight to the pitch

Afeef: "This is something I noticed just a few days ago but I think during the World Cup or the T20I series against Pakistan, Hales went past Gayle and now has the most fours in all T20 cricket." Gosh, that would be notable

10.1
2
Swepson to Gilkes, 2 runs, first ball after drinks, flicked to the leg-side with the spin

END OF OVER:
10 | 16 Runs | ST: 87/0 (35 runs required from 60 balls, RR: 8.70, RRR: 3.50)

  • Alex Hales47 (32b)
  • Matthew Gilkes32 (28b)
  • Michael Neser3-0-31-0
  • Mark Steketee2-0-14-0
9.6
4
Neser to Hales, FOUR, it's gathering pace now! Hales kneels into a classical drive, through long-off. I give this five overs, tops
9.5
4
Neser to Hales, FOUR, raw power! Full length, and belted back through the bowler's followthrough, clean to the long-off boundary
9.4
1
Neser to Gilkes, 1 run, right up on the toes, and flogged back through the on-side
9.3
1
Neser to Hales, 1 run, chopped to the off-side for another single
9.2
4
Neser to Hales, FOUR, spanged over short mid-on! Bouncer, Hales doesn't get any sort of hold on it, but scuffs it off the splice, over the fielder's head and away to the rope
9.1
2
Neser to Hales, 2 runs, sweetly timed off the pads, through backward square. Whiteley mops up with a slide

END OF OVER:
9 | 5 Runs | ST: 71/0 (51 runs required from 11 overs, RR: 7.88, RRR: 4.63)

  • Alex Hales32 (27b)
  • Matthew Gilkes31 (27b)
  • Mark Steketee2-0-14-0
  • Mitchell Swepson2-0-15-0
8.6
1
Steketee to Hales, 1 run, delicate from Hales, tapping the ball at the top of the bounce down to deep backward point
8.5
2
Steketee to Hales, 2 runs, blatted off the back foot, at the top of the bounce, out to deep cover, acres of space to come back for two
8.4
1lb
Steketee to Gilkes, 1 leg bye, cramped on the legs, another swivel-pull down to fine leg
8.3
0
Steketee to Gilkes, no run, A swish across the line, but no contact on that one

Yoel: "Thunder going for Run Rate....maybe to compensate for THAT loss" Yes, to judge by Hales' T20 World Cup efforts, this could end quickly now

8.2
0
Steketee to Gilkes, no run, tight line on the back foot, pressed back down the pitch

Big Bash League

TeamMWLPTNRR
PS14113221.205
SS14103210.846
MR147714-0.027
ST147714-0.716
BH146713-0.483
HH146812-0.34
AS145910-0.151
MS143116-0.287