ST Sydney Thunder
HH Hobart Hurricanes
Big Bash League
Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes Match Prediction
Sydney Thunder host Hobart Hurricanes at ENGIE Stadium (Sydney Showground) on Friday, looking to snap a poor run of form.
Team News
Sydney Thunder: Captain David Warner is FIT and playing after recovering from his earlier leg injury. He scored 25 off 21 balls with a brilliant six off the first ball in the Dec 30 loss. Matthew Gilkes (132 runs @ SR 183) and Shadab Khan (6 wickets) lead the stats. Sam Konstas showed promise with a fighting knock. The squad is at full strength with Sangha and McAndrew both available.
Hobart Hurricanes: Captain Nathan Ellis leads the defending champions but they are missing key players. Tim David is OUT for the season (grade-2 hamstring). Beau Webster has departed for the Ashes squad. Nikhil Chaudhary (180 runs) and Ben McDermott (165 runs) must carry the batting. Rishad Hossain (8 wickets) and Ellis (7 wickets) lead the bowling.
Key Stats
| Factor | Sydney Thunder | Hobart Hurricanes |
|---|---|---|
| Position | 8th | 2nd |
| Record | 1W-4L | 4W-1L |
| Squad Status | Full strength | Missing David, Webster |
Venue Analysis
Sydney Showground Stadium is bowling-friendly with average first innings of 144. Teams chasing win 54% of matches here. Daniel Sams has 31 wickets at this venue - a major home advantage for Thunder.
Final Verdict
Hobart Hurricanes at 55%. Despite missing Tim David and Beau Webster, the Hurricanes have superior depth and momentum. Thunder at full strength but still bottom of the table with just 1 win from 5 matches. Hurricanes class should prevail but the gap has narrowed.
Value Note
NO BET - SKIP for betting. Hurricanes at 1.61 imply 62.1% - higher than our 55% assessment. Thunder at 2.29 (43.7% implied) offers slight edge (+1.3%) but below our 2% threshold. Market may be underestimating Thunder's full-strength squad and home advantage.
