BBL7 Game 1 - Thunder v Sixers Preview (+ The Lurker's 10 Unit Bank)

Sydney Thunder (0-0) v Sydney Sixers (0-0) - Spotless Stadium
 
Head to Head History - Sydney Sixers 8, Sydney Thunder 3
 
Last 5 - Sydney Thunder 3, Sydney Sixers 2
 
Sydney Sixers 13 man Squad - Moises Henriques (c), Nic Maddinson, Daniel Hughes, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Jordan Silk, Johan Botha, Sean Abbott, Stephen O'Keefe, Peter Neville +, Harry Conway, Doug Bollinger, Daniel Sams
 
Sydney Thunder 13 man Squad - Shane Watson (c), Kurtis Patterson, Aiden Blizzard, Callum Ferguson, Ben Rohrer, Ryan Gibson, Joe Buttler +, Chris Green, Farad Ahmed, Nathan McAndrew, Arjun Nair, Mitch McClenaghan, Andrew Fekete
 
Preview - BBL7 roars into life with the Sydney Smash, as the Sixers head across town to take on their local rivals, the Thunder, at Spotless Stadium tonight. The Thunder have enjoyed some success over their crosstown rivals over the past few years, winning 3 of the past 5 encounters after dropping the first 7. The Sixers will be looking to go one better this year, having stormed into the final last year, and lost, after a late run of form in the regular season. The Thunder had a season to forget, losing their first 4 games, before rallying late with 3 victories, but still finishing in last place. The Thunder have now missed the finals in 5 of the 6 BBL seasons outside of the 2015/16 season when they were crowned champions. 
 
Big Batting Battle - Shane Watson v Nic Maddinson - Both these guys are explosive T20 opening batsmen who are their team’s lynchpins. Both are looking to rebound from hugely disappointing BBL6 campaigns. Watson comes into this game in imperious form in Sydney Grade cricket, and fresh in the mind, which is in contrast to last season where he missed the first couple of games through injury and looked rusty with the bat. Maddinson was unstoppable in the 50-Over domestic competitions earlier this year, flogging the white ball to all parts against some handy attacks. He is quite an enigmatic player though and struggled mightily in the early rounds of the Sheffield Shield. 
 
Big Bowling Battle - Spin Twin Battle (Chris Green/Farad Ahmed v Stephen O'Keefe/Johan Botha)- I think the result of this game could well be determined by which set of spinners come out on top here. The Spotless Stadium drop-in wicket is usually a little two-paced and on the slow side, and both teams will be banking on their two gun spinners to get through their 4 overs for less then 7 runs per over. Chris Green and Farad Ahmed bowled really well at Spotless last year, with Green bowling very flat from around the wicket to the right-handers. With the short straight boundaries at Spotless, expect Steven O’Keefe and Johan Botha of the Sixers to really spear the ball into leg stump. 
 
Ground Dynamic - Spotless is a small ground, however I wouldn't rate in in the top 4 or 5 batting surfaces, given its history, and with its drop in wicket often a little two paced and on the slower side. It does contain small straight boundaries so I think bowling outfits will target back of a length , and try and defend the longer boundaries. For mine, if batting first, a score of 170 will be more than competitive and perhaps a winning score. 
 
THE LURKER'S PICK (0-0) - Sydney Sixers
 
"The Thunder will be paddling up the creek here, with the Sixers’ batting containing far too much fire power for the men in Green. Despite Watto firing, I see the Sixers getting the chocolates and enjoying a solid circuit afterwards." 
 
The LURKER'S 10-UNIT BANK (Tab Odds)
 
6 units on Sixers to win Head to Head  @ $1.70
 
1.5 units on Sixers to win by 1-20 runs/1-4 wickets @ $5.50
 
1.5 units on Player Run Lines/Over Under Double of Hughes +0.5/over 48.5 runs @ $3.50 (Daniel Hughes v Jason Roy. Roy has 0.5 runs head start, Hughes must beat that handicap, as well as the pair combining for over 48.5 runs for the bet to win).
 
1 unit on Thunder High Bat/Bowl double of Patterson/Ahmed @ $16