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The Sydney Thunder defeated the Melbourne Stars in Match No. 1 of the Big Bash League 2022 (BBL 2022) at Manuka Oval, Canberra, on Tuesday, December 13.
After being put to bat, the Melbourne Stars never got going and could only manage 112/8 from their 20 overs. Nick Larkin was the top performer for the team, scoring 25 runs off 26 balls.
The Sydney Thunder's bowlers did extremely well to restrict the Stars to a below-average total. Gurinder Singh Sandhu, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Daniel Sams all picked up two wickets apiece.
The Thunder also had a horrible start as they lost their initial two wickets without any runs on the board. Jason Sangha and Alex Ross scored 24 and 28 runs respectively to get the team going, but both batsmen got out after getting starts.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Stars bowlers were on fire as Trent Boult removed two wickets in his first over of the spell. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Adam Zampa then dismantled the Thunder's middle order to leave them tottering at 89/7 at one stage.
However, a late cameo from Gurinder Singh Sandhu helped his team get over the line. Sandhu scored 20 runs off just 16 balls, including two fours and one huge six to help the Thunder secure a massive win to start the tournament.
Alex Ross tops run-charts in Big Bash League 2022
Alex Ross is the leading run scorer in the BIG Bash League 2022, scoring 28 runs off 27 balls with the help of three fours.
Nick Larkin and Jason Sangha are second and third, respectively, on the list. There is hardly any difference that separates all three players as the first match of the tournament was ruled by the bowlers.
Nathan Coulter-Nile tops bowling charts in BBL 2022
Right-arm speedster Nathan Coulter-Nile is currently the leading wicket-taker in this year's Big Bash League after one game. The veteran pacer picked up three crucial wickets in the game. He was terrific throughout his spell and did not allow batters to score quickly against him.
Beau Webster, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Trent Boult, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu and Adam Zampa follow Coulter-Nile on the list. All six bowlers picked up two wickets apiece in the first match of the tournament.
