Table of Contents
Sydney Thunder registered their first victory in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2020-21 after they defeated Brisbane Heat by 4 wickets in a thrilling e𒊎ncounter at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Monday.
Chasing a challenging target of 179, Thunder had a dreadful start as they lost their top-3 batsmen on 22 runs. Opener Alex Hales and skipper Callum Ferguson went for a duck while senior lad Usman Khawaja was sent back to the dugout on 17. Queensland all-rounder Jack Wildermuth took all the three wickets.
Then Alex Ross (34) and Baxter Holt (23) tried to stabilize the innings by adding a crucial stand of 49 runs for the fourth wicket. Matthew Kuhnemann and Mujeeb Ur Rahman brought Heat back into the game after♏ they dismissed bothꦫ the set batters.
It looked like the Heat would capitalize from this situation, but Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams had some other plans. The duo put together a vital partnership of 69 runs for the s🍃ixth wicket.
Cutting was cleaned up by Mark Steketee in the 18th over, but Sams held his end and kept on scoring bou𝓡ndaries until he took his side over the finish line. The 28-year-old played a blistering knock of unbeaten 65 runs off 25 deliveries with the help of seven sixes and three fours.
Chris Lynn drives Heat to 178/6
Earlier, Heat skipper Chris Lynn led the batting unit from the front af🎶ter he smashed a sensational half-century and scored 69 runs off 44 deliveri𒀰es. The right-handed batsman hammered runs at a blistering strike-rate of 156.82 laced up with eight boundaries, including five humungous sixes.
Apart from Lynn, Wildermuth and Max Bryant also made valuable contributions to take the team’s total 178/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Wildermuth slammed 11-ball 31 with the help of four sixes, while Bryant scored 29 off 23 balls.
For Thunder, Jonathan Cook and Sams bagged two wickets each. At the same time, Chris Green and Nathan McAndrew picked up one wicket apiece.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
A match-winning half-century.
Incredible!
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL)
DANIEL SAMS YOU LEGEND! Proud of you for holding your nerve tonight – bloody brilliant ⚡️⚡️⚡️
— Erin Holland (@erinvholland)
Tanveer Sangha is going to be an absolute gun.
Fearless. Love the way he throws it up.
— Tim Michell (@tim_michell)
Daniel Sams the hero! I love him I wanna boof him get hꦺim up heeeerrre!
— Josh Barnett 🇦🇺 (@v8tiger)
And that’s as bad a bowling as I’ve ever seen in T/20 cricket from the Brisbane heat & horrific plans too – any chance of a wide yorker????
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne)
WHAT A GAM💙E, WHAT A WIN, WHAT A KNOCK 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Daniel Sams, Take a bow son 👏🏻👏🏻
⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️— Scotty 🇦🇺 (@ScottLee80)
Chris Lynn goes for a well made 69 in 44 balls, he's the David Warner of the Big Bash League, can score consistent runs for the Brisbane Heat.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)
Chris Lynn Completed his fifty in just 31 balls with 4 Sixes and 2 fo𓄧urs.
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh)
Incredible! 𓆉Daniel Sams hits four sixes off the penultimate over to seal a rem🍃arkable comeback win for the Thunder!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau)
Incredible smashing from Daniel Sams. Never seen him hit the ball this▨ hard, scoring 65 off 25 balls with 7 huge sixes. What a win for Sydney Thunder after reeliꦫng at 80 for 5 midway.
— Siddarth Srinivas (@sidhuwrites)
Daniel Sams was brilliant, Ben Laughlin less so…
— Rick Eyre on cricket (@rickeyrecricket)
Daniel Sams. That’s it. That’s the tweet
— In-Depth Football and Cricket (@𝓡indepthFandC)
Ultimate batting by Daniel sams
— The Dinesh Kumar (@TheRowdyDinesh)
//🔜twitter.com/JamColley/status/1338444271557361664
Syd꧟ney thunder are the favorites, I have f🔴aith but not that much faith.
— zamps v1 🐦 (@zampaa69)
//twi🌳tter.com/dhrubghimire/status/1338439735539220481