Sydney Thunder vs. Hobart Hurricanes – Big Bash League, Thursday, January 13, 2022

The Sydney Thunder and the Hobart Hurricanes meet for the second time in four days this Thursday, January 13. On Monday, the Thunder claimed a dominant nine-wicket victory with 16 balls to spare.

A six-match winning streak has seen the Sydneysiders climb to second on the ladder. As for the Hurricanes, they find themselves fourth – nine points behind the Thunder – after losing three of their last four outings.

Can the Canes gain their revenge on Thursday? Or will the Thunder’s winning run continue? Keep reading to discover my prediction and betting pick for Sydney Thunder vs. Hobart Hurricanes.

All the leading cricket betting sites favor the Thunder (1.53) to win this one. That is hardly surprising, though, given that Trevor Bayliss’ men have won each of their previous six matches.

The Hurricanes (2.50) have taken a turn for the worse of late, winning just one of their last four outings. Still, they remain on course to qualify for the finals after an impressive mid-season hot streak.

It’s time to take a closer look at the teams.

Can anyone stop the Thunder right now?

When the Sydneysiders won only two of their opening five matches, they looked set for another season of disappointment. But they have turned things around in style.

Although the Thunder’s six-match winning streak contains countless memorable moments, the back-to-back victories over the Scorchers stand out. Let’s not forget that Perth sits atop the ladder – seven points clear of the Thunder.

Thanks to a tight bowling display, Bayliss’ men limited Hobart to 6-139 on Monday. They ended up reaching their target with 16 balls left, losing just a single wicket in the process.

Jason Sangha (35*) extended his streak of impressive knocks last time out. The 22-year-old currently sits third in the run-scoring charts and averages 65.80 with a strike rate of 132.66.

There was a sense that the Thunder could struggle without Sam Billings. The wicketkeeper-batsman was the team’s leading run-scorer before leaving to join England’s squad for the fifth Ashes Test. But Hales has stepped up in his absence.

Let’s not forget that the Thunder’s bowlers are playing their part, too. Only four players have taken more wickets than Daniel Sams (15) this season. Saqib Mahmood (13), Tanveer Sangha (11), Gurinder Sandhu (10), and Nathan McAndrew (10) are also in fine form.

A run of three straight wins in late December saw the Hurricanes cement their place in the top five. However, they have only managed to pick up one victory in four matches since then.

Hobart suffered back-to-back losses to Brisbane and Adelaide after the turn of the year before gaining revenge over the Heat. But they suffered a comprehensive thrashing at the hands of the Thunder on Monday.

Despite the best efforts of Ben McDermott (38), the Tasmanians were totally outclassed by the Thunder. They claimed just a single wicket in reply, with the Sydneysiders running away with the victory.

As you can see, McDermott remains at the summit of the Golden Bat standings. The in-form batter smashed back-to-back centuries in December before coming within seven runs of another ton last weekend.

That said, Hobart’s overreliance on McDermott is a cause for concern. If guys like Peter Handscomb and D’Arcy Short continue to fall short, the Canes could find themselves outside the top five before too long.

If the previous meeting between these two sides is anything to go by, the Thunder should claim another comfortable victory on Thursday. Bayliss’ men completely outplayed Hobart on Monday, dominating with both bat and ball.

Hales’ return to form has come at just the right time for the Thunder. The departure of Billings threatened to derail their season, but Hales has stepped up and delivered crucial runs.

I expect the Hurricanes to put up more of a fight on Thursday, but I’m confident that the Sydneysiders will come out on top once again. Even if McDermott runs riot, the Thunder’s bowling attack should tear through Hobart’s off-form batting line-up.

I’m backing the Thunder to pick up their seventh successive victory on Thursday. Bayliss’ men are on a seemingly unstoppable run at the moment, so I can’t see Hobart winning this one.

The Canes are not in a good place right now, having lost three of their past four matches. If they carry on the way they’re going, they could miss out on the final altogether.