Sydney Thunder open Big Bash campaign with comfortable victory

Sam Billings and Alex Ross put together an unbeaten, 109-run stand Thunder had been reduced to 32 for 3 in the fourth over

Manuka Oval: Brisbane Heat 140-8, Sydney Thunder 141-3 - Sydney Thunder win by seven wickets

Sydney Thunder began their Big Bash campaign with a victory, recovering from a poor start to their run-chase to beat Brisbane Heat comfortably.

Sam Billings and Alex Ross put together an unbeaten, 109-run stand after two wickets for Liam Guthrie and one for Xavier Bartlett had initially reduced Thunder to 32 for 3 in the fourth over.

But Billings, England’s wicketkeeper-batter, sapped away Heat's early momentum with an assured, experienced knock that saw him finish unbeaten on 44, while Ross – famed through Big Bash history for his proficiency on the sweep shot – started in sedate fashion before taking down Guthrie and opening his shoulders, ending not out on 61 from 46 deliveries.

There was a rare failure for Alex Hales, though. The Englishman's record since joining Thunder two years ago has been remarkable, but he drove Bartlett on the up straight to cover to fall for a second-ball duck, before left-handers Sam Whiteman and Matt Gilkes both fell to left-arm seamer Guthrie.

Earlier, Heat had been indebted to Ben Duckett and Sam Heazlett – in Wade Seccombe's first match as head coach – for dragging them towards a competitive total on a slow pitch that made boundary-striking difficult.

^{Alex Ross ended unbeaten on 61 for Sydney Thunder (Matt King/Getty Images)}

Heat hit just a single six – off the bat of Bartlett at the death – as Chris Lynn, Max Bryant, Jack Wildermuth, new captain Jimmy Peirson, James Bazley and Mujeeb Ur Rahman all fell without reaching double figures.

Adam Milne has not returned this year for Thunder, while Saqib Mahmood is not yet available, but Trevor Bayliss' seamers were excellent nonetheless, led by Gurinder Sandhu and Daniel Sams with the new ball. Between them and Nathan McAndrew, they shared seven wickets, with Tanveer Sangha picking up the other.

Chris Green went wicketless in his first game as stand-in captain, with Calllum Ferguson released at the end of last season and his replacement – Usman Khawaja – on Ashes duty.

Matt Kuhnemann has begun his Sheffield Shield season in excellent fashion, while Mujeeb enjoyed a fine T20 World Cup. But in reply, Heat's spinners were unable to find the required breakthrough against Billings and Ross, two men strong on the sweep, who ultimately led Thunder to a winning start.