Mitchell Starc returns to Sixers colours for the first time in a decade in the Sydney Smash against the Thunder at the SCG
Match facts
Who: Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder
What: Match 37, KFC BBL|15
Where: SCG, Sydney
When: Friday, January 16. Bat flip at 6.30pm AEDT, first ball at 7.15pm AEDT
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Drew Crozier and Gerard Abood (field), Roberto Howard (third), Claire Polosak (fourth), David Gilbert (match referee)
Match squads
Sydney Sixers: Sean Abbott, Babar Azam, Sam Curran, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc
Ins: Daniel Hughes, Mitchell Starc. Outs: Todd Murphy (omitted), Jordan Silk (omitted).
Mitchell Starc will make his long-awaited return to the Big Bash after last pulling on the magenta all the way back in BBL|04. Daniel Hughes also makes his return to the Sixers after missing with a bout of illness, while Todd Murphy and Jordan Silk have been omitted.
Sydney Thunder: Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Chris Green, Matt Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Blake Nikitaras, Nic Maddinson, Aidan O’Connor, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner (c)
Ins: Ollie Davies, Blake Nikitaras, Ollie Davies. Outs: Charlie Anderson (omitted), Cameron Bancroft (injured), David Willey (availability).
The Thunder have made three changes as they look to finish they campaign on a high against their crosstown rivals. Ollie Davies, Blake Nikitaras and Aidan O’Connor return to the squad in place of David Willey (availability), Charlie Anderson (omitted) and Cameron Bancroft (injured), who fractured his thumb at training. David Warner remains in the squad as he nurses a knee injury, despite missing Monday’s game.
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Players to watch
Mitchell Starc (Sixers): The indestructible left-armer returns to the league for the first time since BBL|04, fresh off the back of a Herculean summer of Test cricket. Despite his longevity representing Australia across all three formats, Starc has only 10 Big Bash matches to his name after making his debut in the competition’s inaugural season. While his time in magenta has been limited, his stump-shattering highlights from his early BBL years still rank among the BBL’s best, and could be added to should his incredible run of form carry to the white ball.
Sam Konstas (Thunder): With a game built for the big stage, the young opener has all the right traits to fire in the highly anticipated Sydney Smash. Although he hasn’t featured regularly among the top-scorers for the Thunder this season, it hasn’t deterred his confidence after he raced away to a three-boundary first over in his side’s latest match against the Renegades. With Mitchell Starc joking he might “stick a few bouncers up (him)” to add to the crosstown rivalry, a Bumrah-inspired response to combat the world-class quick could only enhance to the fireworks for Friday night.
Top performers
Local knowledge
Rapid stats
Sydney Sixers have won seven of their past eight BBL matches against the Thunder, including a 47-run victory when they last met earlier this season; although, their only defeat in that span came when they last met the Thunder at the SCG in the BBL|14 Challenger final.
Sydney Thunder defeated Melbourne Renegades by four wickets last time out in the BBL, snapping a five-match losing run; the Thunder will be aiming for consecutive wins for the first time this season.
Sydney Sixers have lost their past three completed BBL matches at the SCG; a fourth consecutive defeat in this game would equal their longest losing run at the SCG in the history of the competition (lost four from December 2015 to December 2016).
Sam Billings (9 – 8 catches, 1 stumping in BBL|15) is one away from recording 10 dismissals as wicketkeeper for the Thunder in a BBL season for the third time (12 in BBL|14 and 10 in BBL|10); only one other player has done this even once for the Thunder (Matthew Gilkes – 10 in BBL|12).
Steve Smith (Sydney Sixers) has scored 861 runs at an average of 66.2 across his past 17 BBL batting innings; although, he was dismissed for a duck the last time he faced the Sydney Thunder in that span (January 12, 2024).
What’s on the line?
Sydney Smash bragging rights are up for grabs again, but that’s all the Thunder will be playing for after being knocked out of finals contention with just two wins from nine games.
The Sixers meanwhile remain in the hunt to finish in the top two and secure a double-chance. Win this match against the Thunder and they’ll stay within striking distance of the Hurricanes, Stars and Scorchers above them, but if they lose, Moises Henriques’ side will be vulnerable to the teams below them and a chance missing the finals altogether.
KFC BBL|15 standings
Team
Matches played
M
Wins
W
Losses
L
Ties
T
No results
N/R
Net Run Rate
NRR
Deductions
Ded.
Total points
PTS
1
HUR
10
6
3
0
1
0.331
0
13
2
SCO
9
6
3
0
0
1.319
0
12
3
STA
9
6
3
0
0
1.031
0
12
4
HEA
9
5
4
0
0
-0.375
0
10
5
SIX
8
4
3
0
1
0.458
0
9
6
STR
9
3
6
0
0
-0.625
0
6
7
REN
9
3
6
0
0
-0.91
0
6
8
THU
9
2
7
0
0
-1.182
0
4
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
