{"id":1264,"date":"2015-12-16T23:18:18","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T03:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cricmetric.com\/blog\/?p=1264"},"modified":"2015-12-16T23:18:18","modified_gmt":"2015-12-17T03:18:18","slug":"bbl05-match-1-preview-sydney-sixers-v-sydney-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cricmetric.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/bbl05-match-1-preview-sydney-sixers-v-sydney-thunder\/","title":{"rendered":"BBL05 Match 1 Preview, Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Match 1 of BBL05 pits the two Sydney franchises against each other in a showdown for local bragging rights. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they have had very little to brag about in recent clashes with the Sixers, losing all of their last 5 head to head encounters. Is there any reason to think that tonight\u2019s clash will produce a different result? Cricmetric\u2019s win probability model has the Thunder as favourites to break their drought with a win probability of 56%, which is mainly driven by the batting of their big 3 \u2013 Kallis, Hussey and Watson. Will they be able to live up to their career records and deliver their first-ever first-up win in the BBL05 opener?<\/p>\n

Sydney Thunder Team News<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sydney Thunder\u2019s batting strike rate in BBL04 of 149.8 runs per 20 overs faced was the third worst in the league, and several of the new additions to the squad are there to improve that ranking. Andre Russell, Shane Watson and Ben Rohrer strike at 218.3, 169.1 and 163.8 per 20 overs faced respectively in their BBL\/CPL\/IPL careers and will be looked upon to deliver the Thunder with an extra 20-30 runs per innings. Their contributions will be all the more important depending on how strongly the aging warriors, Kallis and Mike Hussey, perform.<\/p>\n

The Thunder\u2019s bowling stocks were in similar need of replenishment following BBL04. Their bowling economy rate of 7.9 runs per over was, like their batting strike rate, the third worst in last year\u2019s league. However unlike their new batting signings, the main additions to the Thunder\u2019s bowling stocks – McKay, Cummins and Doran – concede 8.2, 9.0 and 8.7 runs per over in their BBL careers. Once again it appears Sandhu will be go-to man to contain the opposition batsmen, while it remains to be seen both how Watson will be used and how effective a bowler he will be in BBL05.<\/p>\n

Sydney Sixers Team News<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beaten finalists in BBL04, the Sydney Sixers had less need to make wholesale changes heading into BBL05. Their batting strike rate in BBL04 of 155.9 runs per 20 overs was second highest in the league, while their bowling economy rate of 7.4 runs conceded per over was a respectable fourth. The journeyman Johan Botha comes into the squad with an impressive BBL strike rate of 155.6 runs per 20 overs faced, although his IPL and CPL returns are less impressive with combined strike rate of 114.7 runs per 20 overs. Wessels, who struck a lowly 142.7 runs per 20 overs in BBL04, is not part of the Sixers squad in BBL05. Nic Maddison continues to improve while Henriques will be the key man in the middle order.<\/p>\n

The retirement of Brett Lee was always going to leave a huge void for the Sixers to fill although Jackson Bird is a fine replacement. In fact Bird\u2019s BBL economy\u00a0 rate of 6.8 rpo is identical to Lee\u2019s economy rate in BBL04. Johan Botha also provides a handy spin option with a BBL\/CPL\/IPL economy rate of just 6.9 rpo.<\/p>\n

Key Match Ups<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Sydney Sixers domination of the head to head record between these two teams suggests the match ups should be heavily in their favour. However is this likely to change given the new faces in the line-ups?<\/p>\n