Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Sydney Thunder’s Jason Sangha said he and his teammates were banking on the SCG being a ‘sea of green’ when they play the Sixers in tomorrow night’s Sydney Smash.
This edition of the GambleAware Sydney Smash takes on a special significance with Thunder, who sit in second position on the KFC Big Bash League ladder, finding themselves pitted against the third-placed Sixers.
Sangha said it was his hope that Thunder fans would pack the ground out.
“We’re at the SCG; a lovely place to play cricket,” Sangha said after his team’s disappointing loss to Hobart Hurricanes on Thursday night.
“I know there’s going to be a little more pink than green, but I’d love to see more Thunder supporters there.
“’It’s really nice to be playing back in Sydney; the Smash is the one game of the year when I think both teams look at the calendar to see when we’re playing against one another.
“We’re looking forward to this challenge of 2 v 3. We’re getting towards the business end of the season, so it’s important we keep executing our plans and developing as cricketers.
“We’ll learn from [our loss to Hobart]. It hurts but we’ll make sure we’re ready for the Sydney Smash.”
Sangha confirmed Thunder – which is expected to have Chris Green return to play in the Smash following his week in quarantine after being deemed a contact with someone who’d tested positive to COVID – is determined to ensure Sydney Showground Stadium hosts a home final.
“Who wouldn’t want to see a Sydney final?” he said. “Our fans have been so loyal to us for so long.
“It’s really important that we get a home final and see our lovely fans who have supported us through the years.”
Sangha, who made a great impression in his stint as the team’s skipper during Green’s absence over the last three matches, said the team knew it needed to move on from the disappointment of their nine-run loss to Hobart.
“At the end of the day we’re still sitting pretty nicely on the ladder,” he said. “T20 games in general, you’ve just got to learn – whether wins or losses – to try and make sure you park it.
“Not every game is going to be the same; different ground, different pitches, different opposition, its always going to be new challenges.
“As long as we stay can present, reflect on what’s happened, park it, and move onto our next game it should be really good.”
Sydney Thunder Squad v Sydney Sixers at SCG
| # | Player | Junior Club |
| 93 | Chris Green © | St Ives JCC |
| 50 | Jonathon Cook | St Andrews JCC |
| 31 | Ben Cutting | MacGregor JCC is |
| 9 | Ollie Davies | Harbord Devils JCC |
| 22 | Matthew Gilkes | Ulladulla United JCC |
| 6 | Alex Hales | Gerrards Cross JCC (England) |
| 87 | Muhammad Hasnain (InternationalReplacement Player] | Sind Cricket Academy [Pakistan] |
| 55 | Lachlan Hearne | Roseville JCC |
| 27 | Baxter Holt | Carlingford Waratah JCC |
| 44 | Nathan McAndrew | Oak Flats JCC |
| 10 | Arjun Nair (Local Replacement Player) | Wenty Leagues Club JCC |
| 49 | Alex Ross | Kensington JCC |
| 95 | Daniel Sams | Panania-East Hills RSL JCC |
| 28 | Gurinder Sandhu | Plumpton-Glendenning JCC |
| 23 | Jason Sangha | Wallsend JCC |
| 17 | Tanveer Sangha | Ingleburn RSL JCC |
| 20 | Chris Tremain | Kinross Wolaroi JCC |
| 3 | Sam Whiteman (Local ReplacementPlayer) | Colts JCC |
Sydney Thunder – BBL|11 – full list of home fixtures (All times AEDT):
v. Brisbane Heat | Monday, December 6 | 7.15pm | Manuka Oval
v. Melbourne Stars| Sunday, December 12 | 7.15pm | Sydney Showground Stadium
v. Sydney Sixers | Sunday, December 26 | 6.05pm | Sydney Showground Stadium
v. Perth Scorchers | Tuesday, December 28 | 7.15pm | Manuka Oval
v. Adelaide Strikers | Sunday, January 2 | 7.15pm | Sydney Showground Stadium
v. Hobart Hurricanes| Thursday, January 13 | 3.45pm | Marvel Stadium
v. Melbourne Renegades presented by GambleAware | Wednesday, January 19 | 4.10pm | Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sydney Thunder BBL Squad
Head Coach: Trevor Bayliss
Assistant Coach: Shawn Bradstreet, Daniel Smith
Contracted for BBL|11: Usman Khawaja (C), Sam Billings (ENG), Jonathon Cook, Ben Cutting, Ollie Davies, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green (Acting Captain), Alex Hales (ENG), Lachlan Hearne, Baxter Holt, Saqib Mahmood (ENG), Nathan McAndrew, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain.
