What: Big Bash League
Who: Sixers v Thunder
When: Thursday, January 22 – 7.40pm (AEDT)
Where: The SCG
I Can Watch It On: Channel 10
Form Guide
Sixers: WLLWL
Thunder: LWLNRL.
20-20 Vision
The Sixers have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the second Sydney Smash of the campaign. It will be veteran Brett Lee's final BBL outing at the SCG after he announced his retirement last week. The men in magenta have already locked up a semi-final spot and sit in fourth place on eight points. They could mathematically jump up to third if they thump the Thunder but it's more likely they'll stay in fourth place and have to play a semi final against the Strikers in Adelaide.
The Thunder have named skipper Mike Hussey as one of four changes to their 13-man squad. Hussey has been battling a calf injury and is desperate to play in Lee's farewell game but will have to pass a fitness test prior to the match before he's cleared to play. Teenager Jake Doran, Thunder Academy's Tim Ley and South African Cameron Delport, who replaces opening batsman Jason Roy as the Thunder's second overseas player, are the other new faces. Andrew McDonald and Dirk Nannes are injured, with Scott Henry on standby for Hussey. The Thunder can't make the finals after an eight-wicket loss to the Stars last start.
Reason To Watch
Brett Lee. He may have had more retirements than John Farnham but Binga is still sending the ball down at close to 150kmh and this is your final chance to see the 38-year-old in action – unless he makes a comeback or you catch one of his Bollywood movies!
Reason To Turn Away
The Thunder have had their moments this campaign but they still enter almost every game they play with a good chance of getting flogged.
Say What
"He's been a tremendous teammate and a very close friend of mine. I would love my last game here at the SCG to be against Mike Hussey because he's such a brilliant athlete and he's scored a million runs," – Brett Lee.
Final Word
The Thunder have never beaten the Sixers and we don't expect that to change on Thursday night. The Sixers aren't exactly in top form having won just one of their last four games heading in, but they should be far too strong for a Thunder line-up that has managed only one win from their past six outings. Organisers are expecting to exceed the 32,823 crowd that flocked to ANZ Stadium for the first Sydney Smash of BBL04. Add the emotion of Brett Lee's farewell game and it should be a fantastic occasion and we're backing the Sixers to do it for Binga and head into the semis with a win.
Teams
Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott Doug Bollinger Ryan Carters Ed Cowan Simon Keen Brett Lee Michael Lumb Nathan Lyon Nic Maddinson Stephen O'Keefe Jordan Silk Riki Wessels
Thunder: Mike Hussey (c) Ahillen Beadle Aiden Blizzard Cameron Delport Jake Doran Chris Green Chris Hartley Nathan Hauritz Dan Hughes Jacques Kallis Josh Lalor Tim Ley Chris Tremain.
