Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat: Sydney Thunder Have a Better Side on Paper

• Brisbane Heat lead the head-to-head against Sydney Thunder with 10 wins to 7.

• Sydney Thunder have defeated Brisbane Heat in four of the previous five encounters.

• Playing at the familiar ground, Sydney Thunder have a better side on paper. 

Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat Odds

Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat Prediction and Pick

These two teams have faced each other 18 times in the BBL, where Brisbane Heat have won 10 matches while Sydney Thunder have claimed 7. However, in the last five clashes, the Thunder have dominated with a 4-1 scoreline. They also have a slightly stronger side on paper and hold an advantage. We predict Sydney Thunder to win this clash on Friday. 

Predicted XI 

Sydney Thunder: Matthew Gilkes (wk), David Warner, Jason Sangha, Oliver Davies, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green (c), Gurinder Sandhu, Usman Qadir

Brisbane Heat: Josh Brown, Usman Khawaja (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Sam Hain, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Michael Neser, James Bazley, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann

Sydney Thunder Hold Advantage Over Brisbane Heat Heading Into Must-Win Eliminator

Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat, two teams who had to battle hard on the final day of the group stage, will clash in the Eliminator of the Big Bash League 2022-23. The winner of this match will earn the right to face Melbourne Renegades in the knockout. The two teams will meet at Sydney Showground Stadium on Friday, January 27th. 

Sydney Thunder finished fourth on the table with 14 points, having won seven matches and lost as many. Their inferior net run rate of -0.716 compared to the Renegades' -0.027 means they have to play one more match to reach the final. 

The Thunder needed to win their final group fixture versus Melbourne Stars and they just about crawled their way to a three-wicket win chasing 120. Chris Green took 2 for 19 off his four overs while Daniel Sams claimed 1 for 27 and smashed a crucial 28 off 18 in the run-chase. 

Brisbane Heat could've finished third but had to settle for fifth place after they lost their final group match against Hobart Hurricanes. They bagged 13 points in the season with six wins and no result. They lost the final game by just two runs in a low-scoring thriller. 

Michael Neser snared 4 for 35 while Spencer Johnson bagged 2 for 20 off his four overs as Brisbane Heat restricted the Hurricanes to 120/9. Chasing the target, they were reduced to 4 for 30 before Sam Hain (26) and Jimmy Peirson (39) added 73 runs for the fifth wicket. But they again lost quick wickets. They needed 10 off the final two overs but couldn't get over the line. 

Team News

Sydney Thunder have David Warner available for this game but he hasn't been able to make an impact in five matches so far. Jason Sangha returning from injury does strengthen the batting unit, which also has Oliver Davies, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, and Ben Cutting. Sydney Thunder have a pretty decent bowling attack especially when there's any help on offer. The likes of Sams, Chris Green, and Nathan McAndrew have done a good job. 

Brisbane Heat will also have Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Matt Renshaw available for this fixture before the Test squad heads to India. These three along with Josh Brown, Sam Hain, and Jimmy Peirson form the batting unit. Michael Neser and Spencer Johnson have been excellent with the ball while James Bazley, Mitchell Swepson, and Matthew Kuhnemann have also done a good job. 

Key Players 

Daniel Sams has been a bit expensive in the BBL 2022-23, conceding at nearly 9 runs per over but has picked 17 wickets. His best bowling figures in the season read 4 for 18. Sams hasn't been at his best with the bat but made an important 28 off 18 in the previous game when the season was on the line. The all-rounder remains a key player in this fixture. 

Michael Neser has been excellent for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing tournament. The right-arm seamer has taken 22 wickets in 12 innings at an economy of 8.60 while striking every 12.2 balls. Neser has claimed three four-wicket hauls in the season, including 4 for 35 in the previous game. He has also made some key contributions with the bat down the order. 

Match Details

What: Sydney Thunder vs Brisbane Heat, Eliminator, BBL 2022-23

Where: Sydney Showground Stadium 

When: January 27, 2023 / 3:40 AM EST 

How to watch: Sony Sports Network/Sony LIV (India), SportsMax (Caribbean), Fox Sports & Channel 7 (Australia), Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), Willow TV (USA), Sky Sports Cricket (United Kingdom)