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That is indeed cricket. One day you're down but if you pull yourself together, you're back on top the next day. The Thunder will be a happy lot. They needed this win badly and they should be fun to watch as the tournament progresses. It's been fun bringing the coverage of this contest to you as well here on Sportskeeda and we wholeheartedly thank for you joining us today. Do stay tuned to this very platform for further cricketing news and action from around the globe, including the Big Bash League as it continues to roll along. For the moment though, this is the duo of Mohul Bhowmick and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. See you around soon - toodles!
Matthew Gilkes is adjudged the Player of the Match. Here's what he has to say: We haven't quite done as well as we'd have liked but we feel like we were pretty close in a few games. Nice to get out there and get a win. Little frustrating, the start to the tournament wasn't as good as I'd have liked. But I did some work. Getting back to the basics. It was quite up and down in the first innings but it was a pretty nice wicket for us. (On batting with Hales) I get along with him really well. He's an amazing player. He brings so much calm out there. We've done a little bit better since then (the 15 all out). That was obviously a pretty disappointing game but that's cricket I guess.
Match summary: Sydney Thunder beat Brisbane Heat by 10 wickets with 50 deliveries to spare!
Alex Hales 59* (36) | Matthew Gilkes 56* (34) Colin Munro 43 (47) | Chris Green 2/14 (4)
The Heat have been decimated. As simple as that. From start to finish, it was the Sydney Thunder show all the way. From registering a dubious 15 to storming back in style with a 10-wicket win at the same venue, the Thunder have made it a more memorable homecoming this time around.
121 was never going to be enough for the Heat and once Matthew Gilkes got off the blocks in the powerplay, it was an indication of what was to come. Alex Hales was scratchy to start with but hung in there to build a solid partnership with Gilkes, who looked the part. Thereafter, it was Hales who flicked a switch and the result was put to rest within no time.
Jimmy Peirson tried everything - he rotated his bowlers around and mixed both pace and spin on a regular basis. But nothing went his way or the way of his bowlers. It was, in many ways, a summary of the entire contest with the Heat just not turning up. The wicket got much better to bat on as well with the ball skidding on nicely under lights. That made the target of 122 look even smaller and when Hales powers along, it's hard to stop him, isn't it?
The Power Surge was taken right after the drinks break and Gilkes tore into Mitchell Swepson before Hales sealed it in style with a boundary. Both batters got to their respective half-centuries to finish what they started, pocketing a couple of crucial points and sending their net run-rate skyrocketing. That was much needed too having been drubbed by the Adelaide Strikers earlier in the competition. And this could just be the performance that gets them on a bit of a roll. As for the Heat, they have to return to the drawing board and find a way to sort their batting woes that have clearly spilled over into yet another season!
An annihilation of the highest order that has been dished out to the Heat today! The Thunder have brought some on show and how! What a performance and this ought to add a massive spring into their step!
12.0
11.4 Mark Steketee to Alex Hales, FOUR! Sydney Thunder win by 10 wickets! Short on middle and leg, Hales accepts the invitation and pulls it away past square leg for a boundary! This was very well placed by Hales. The Thunder win this game with plenty to spare and ensured that their all-round performance translated into a good win!
11.3 Mark Steketee to Alex Hales, BUMPER on leg, Hales sways underneath!
11.2 Mark Steketee to Alex Hales, FOUR MORE! Short of a length on middle and leg, Hales swings this one away over mid on for another boundary! The ball reaches the fence just on the bounce!
A fortuitous boundary but it brings up Hales' 14th half-century in the BBL. Can he finish it off in style now?
11.1 Mark Steketee to Alex Hales, FOUR! At a length on off and middle, Hales swipes at it and gets a thickish outside edge that goes wide of the keeper and up and above him as well for a boundary to third man! Six runs needed now. And fifty for Hales!
Mark Steketee [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack
25 runs off the over! Oh they've just gone berserk now have the Thunder openers! It's only a matter of time now folks - it's all coming to a rapid end and boy, wouldn't this boost the net run-rate of the Thunder, apart from their confidence of course! Sydney Thunder require 10 runs to win off 9 overs at 1.11 RPO.
11
overs
112/0score
2
6
4
6
1w
0
6
runs
Matthew Gilkes*
56(34)
Alex Hales
47(32)
Mitchell Swepson
0/40
10.6 Mitchell Swepson to Matthew Gilkes, SIX AGAIN! POOR BOWLING BY SWEPSON AND THOUGHTLESS SETTING OF THE FIELD! Tossed up on middle and leg yet again and Gilkes steps down the track and merely does what is asked of him, hitting Swepson down the ground for another MAXIMUM! What is inexplicable is that Swepson kept bowling there without a long on!
10.5 Mitchell Swepson to Matthew Gilkes, back of a length outside off, Gilkes rocks back and cuts it to point for a dot.
Wade Seccombe (Brisbane Heat head coach): It wasn't an easy wicket. The way they're going about it makes it look otherwise but it's a little bit dewy now and it's sliding on nicely. It was a little bit two-paced (initially). On this wicket, it's a 50-50 call whether you bat or bowl first. We thought it was a better wicket than how it played. Not a huge total but we just had to be more than what we got. Yeah it's not good (he says as Gilkes continues to pile the misery)
10.5 Mitchell Swepson to Matthew Gilkes, WIDE outside leg, Gilkes pulls and misses!
Half-century for Matthew Gilkes! He's in a hurry to wrap this up but oopsie - a gentleman in the crowd has copped the ball near his nose. Let's hope he's okay!
10.4 Mitchell Swepson to Matthew Gilkes, SIX! FIFTY FOR GILKES AND THE HUNDRED-RUN PARTNERSHIP FOR HIM AND HALES! Tossed up on middle and leg, Gilkes steps down the track yet again and although he does not get all of it, somehow manages to send it over long on for another MAXIMUM!
10.3 Mitchell Swepson to Matthew Gilkes, FOUR! TWELVE RUNS IN THREE BALLS! Short and wide outside off, Gilkes rocks back in the crease and cuts it past cover and mid off for a boundary! That was a lovely shot!