Team news, key match-ups, TV and streaming information, weather forecast, odds, form rundown, umpire appointments, start times, venue and squad lists for the 28th game of BBL11
Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder in the 28th game of the 2021-22 Big Bash.
The game is set for Friday, December 30. The first ball will be bowled at 6.45pm local time (8.15am GMT).
The game will be held at Adelaide's Adelaide Oval.
Strikers have won just one of their six matches so far, losing the other five. Their sole victory came against Melbourne Renegades in their second game but since they've lost four on the trot including their last game with Hobart Hurricanes on December 27.
It looked as though Peter Siddle's side had done enough to be at least competitive, making 175 for 5 from their 20 overs.
But Ben McDermott smashed the first of two back-to-back centuries to inspire victory by seven wickets with nine balls to spare.
Thunder have arguably been the most inconsistent team in the tournament, winning three out of six and are yet to claim back-to-back wins in the 2021-22 season.
But it was they who ended Perth Scorchers' 100 per cent winning start to BBL 11 with a 34-run win at Manuka Oval.
Sam Billings' 67 helped Thunder make 200 for 7 from their full allocation.
Colin Munro struck an unbeaten 64 but 3 for 40 from Nathan McAndrew kept Scorchers at bay to secure the most unlikely of wins.
Can the Strikers scale the heights again? (Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Despite the Strikers' poor start, it is little surprise to see Rashid Khan among the highest wicket-takers of the tournament with 10 in six outings.
That said, with an economy rate slightly up on his career average (7.12) even the Afghanistan leg-spinner has room for improvement.
Skipper Siddle is next in the list with only seven scalps while the likes of Wes Agar have struggled thus far.
It has been anything but a vintage campaign for Thunder opener Alex Hales, who has failed to score more than 14 in four of his six innings so far.
He arrives back in Australia with more than 500 runs in each of his last two campaigns and has not endured a run as lean as this since 2014-15 when he managed just 71 in five matches.
The Englishman had started the tournament by becoming the highest-scoring overseas player in its history, surpassing Luke Wright, but he been unable to kick on.
Darren Close and Greg Davidson are the men in the middle for this one.
Temperatures are still expected to be sweltering for the start of play, hitting around 36 degrees Celsius in Adelaide.
Adelaide Strikers: Travis Head (c), Wes Agar, Danny Briggs, Alex Carey, Harry Conway, Rashid Khan, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Harry Nielsen, Liam O'Connor, Matt Renshaw, Phil Salt, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Daniel Worrall, Jon Wells, Cameron White, Daniel Worrall
Sydney Thunder: Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings, Jonathan Cook, Ben Cutting, Oliver Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain
Alex Hales (Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Adelaide Strikers: Jake Weatherald, Matt Short, Matt Renshaw, Jonathan Wells, Thomas Kelly, Harry Nielsen, George Garton, Rashid Khan, Wes Agar, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed
Sydney Thunder: Matt Gilkes, Alex Hales, Jason Sangha, Sam Billings, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Saqib Mahmood, Tanveer Sangha
Thunder start this one as favourites, with bookies offering odds of 4/5. Strikers can be backed at 21/20.
Thunder have been very inconsistent but having already pulled off the result of the tournament so far should have too much for Strikers.
Sky Sports have bought the rights for the competition through to 2025, and they will broadcast all 61 games in the UK.
Fox Sports and Seven Network both have television rights in Australia: subscription broadcaster Fox show every game, while free-to-air Seven will simulcast 45 matches.
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra will have ball-by-ball radio coverage of the tournament for UK listeners.
Where can I watch the competition elsewhere in the world?
North America: Willow
MENA: beIN Sports
Sub Saharan Africa: SuperSport
Indian Subcontinent: Sony
New Zealand: Sky Sport
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