Shane Watson led his team from the front as riding on his 31-ball 55, Sydney Thunder registered a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Hobart Hurricanes.
Chasing 162, Sydney Thunder made a flying start as Kurtis Patterson (23) and James Vince (44) added 62 runs for the first wicket before the former was dismissed by Stuart Broad. 16 runs later, Vince also returned to the hut but Watson (55) and Ben Rohrer (28*) took their team on the verge of victory with a 63-run partnership. The Sydney-based outfit eventually reached the target with 19 balls remaining.
Earlier, the Hurricanes made a poor start as in-form batsmen Tim Paine (4) and D’Arcy Short (0) returned to the pavilion cheaply before Ben McDermott and George Bailey steadied the ship with a 46-run stand. Hurricanes’ middle-order batsmen failed to make any big contribution but Bailey played an unbeaten knock of 69 runs to help his team post 161 for 8.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the match:
Jesus. I can’t remember an ending more predictable since The Titanic. #bbl06
— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) January 8, 2017
Back to back wins for the #ThunderNation finding some good form at last. Could they make a surge into the finals of #BBL06
— Rodney Messner (@rodders024) January 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/818052806372425730
Great to see @ShaneRWatson33 hit em well tonight for @ThunderBBL #ThunderNation #BBL06
— MJ Ellis ? (@quietcordial) January 8, 2017
Excellent by the Sydney Thunder. Great debut by Vince and Brathwaite! #BBL06 #ThunderNation
— Sam Newman (@samnewman) January 8, 2017
Thank you Shaun Tait for bringing Shane Watson back to form #BBL06
— Shubh Aggarwal (@shubh_chintak) January 8, 2017
Shaun Tait is the perfect example of how you bowl when you play cricket after a long time. Line, length, action all over the place. #BBL06
— Shubh Aggarwal (@shubh_chintak) January 8, 2017
@BigBashLeague Any score of his team is less when Shaun Tait is bowling. @shaun_tait32
— Amar Singh ?? (@amarsingh_29) January 8, 2017
You know you are bowling badly when Watto gets runs @HurricanesBBL #BBL06
— Mugg Lair (@MuggLair) January 8, 2017
Disappointing they don't have the on-field microphone on George Bailey. If #BBL06 has missed anything, it's him swearing live on air.
— 51allout (@51allout) January 8, 2017
Gets dropped from the team and smashes well compiled Half-Century. Poor George Bailey. #BBL06 #CricAus #HobvsSyt
— Hari Raj Bajracharya (@Binga_Harry) January 8, 2017
We need to introduce bans, across all sports, for people who celebrate with dabs. It has to stop. #bbl06
— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) January 8, 2017
please put Sanga back in. He is a match winner. Plus we will all come to the game then!
— Sachinka Ranasinghe (@sachrana11) January 8, 2017