‘Like a tracer bullet': Thunder gun explodes in monster hitting display after star duo flop

The Sydney Thunder got revenge for last season’s Knockout playoff defeat to the Brisbane Heat with a dominant seven-wicket victory, chasing down Heat's 140 with nearly three overs to spare.

The match featured a masterful display of batting - despite the competition’s all-time topscorer Chris Lynn and last season’s topscorer Alex Hales both failing - and most notably a hilarious moment as Australian great Andrew Symonds was left baffled by near-identical dropped catches.

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Thunder won the bat flip and restricted the Brisbane Heat to 8-140 with some brilliant bowling. After losing three early wickets left Sydney 3-32, a 109-run partnership from 85 deliveries between Alex Ross and Sam Billings secured the victory, with Ross monstering nine boundaries after a patient start.

Andrew Symonds said: “He showed a lot of people what he can do tonight, and the way to go about it. A very professional, polished innings there tonight.”

After notching 30 runs in his first 30 deliveries, Ross exploded for 31 more runs in his next 16 balls to finish 61* off 46. Billings added 45* off 36 with six boundaries in what eventually proved a comfortable win sealed with a wide.

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ROSS EXPLODES

Last season’s BBL topscorer Alex Hales fell for a second-ball duck as the Thunder chase got off to a horrid start. Hales mistimed a Xavier Bartlett ball and poked it straight to the man at cover. Sam Whiteman added 11 and Matthew Gilkes a rapid 20 off 10 before being dismissed lbw, leaving Thunder 3-32.

Ross survived a close call on the last ball of the seventh over when he attempted a reverse sweep against Heat star spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman.

The Afghanistan international and keeper Jimmy Peirson were certain they had their man with a loud and confident appeal, but the umpire shook his head, denying what appeared to be a certain wicket.

“It’s hitting middle and off stump … jeez, it looked good live,” Andrew Symonds said on Fox Cricket.

Alongside Billings, Ross righted the Thunder ship before exploding into life after a measured 30 off his first 30 balls.

Ross struck 17 off one Guthrie over to move to 47 from 36, including a massive six as he backed away from a short ball and slapped it over the off-side fence.

“Looks like he’s got plans later this evening, Alex Ross,” Mark Howard said in commentary.

Lee said: “To me that’s one of the best. What a shot. One of the hardest shots in the game. Backs away, uses the pace, bang! … shot of the night.”

Ross smashed a six in the next over to reach fifty, his seventh in the BBL and third for the Thunder, and didn’t slow down there, monstering a four on the next delivery that rifled along the turf at searing pace.

Brett Lee asked “How hard has he hit that? That’s gone like a tracer bullet … You can’t hit it much better than that.”

Andrew Symonds replied: “There’ll be a track in the ground there tomorrow morning where he’s burnt the grass.”

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A late chance for the Heat to wrestle back some momentum went begging in the 16th over.

Heat captain and wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson – who had been in contention for Tim Paine’s Test spot before it was recently awarded to Alex Carey – failed to get a glove on a top-edge that flew straight up into the air.

Mark Howard said: “It got completely away from Jimmy Peirson, I’m not sure he’s laid a glove on it.”

Brett Lee added: “He’s not got a hand on that. It’s gone straight up. You’ve got to take them. He’s normally got a great set of hands.”

Sam Billings had been on 29 at the time with Thunder cruising to victory, and quickly responded by monstering Bazley for a six as the match finished the next over.

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SYMONDS BAFFLED BY DEJA VU

Peirson wasn't the only keeper to drop a soaring top-edge chance. Midway through the Heat’s innings, Sam Heazlett mistimed a Ben Cutting ball straight to the sky only for Sam Billings to put it down.

Symonds was left hilariously stunned in commentary for Fox Cricket when the next ball was almost identically top-edged skyward, with Symonds initially believing the broadcast was showing a replay of the prior ball.

“Here it is again,” he said, before the ball fell to a different fielder on the boundary rope. Mark Howard said: “Incredible. So extraordinary Roy thought it was a replay! But I can guarantee you it’s two balls and two dropped catches.”

FULL STORY: ‘Roy thought it was a replay!’ Heat given life by stunning back-to-back drops

Heazlett sent yet another ball skyward a couple of overs later, with Daniel Sams calling off his fielders to finally dismiss the batter caught and bowled for 42.

That ended a mid-innings recovery after the Heat got off to a poor start.

Chris Lynn, the all-time BBL topscorer with 2790 runs and the record six-hitter with 172 maximums, began the Heat’s innings in very patient fashion, with the opening duo hitting just eight runs in the first two overs, Brett Lee said: “I like the way the Heat have started. Some years it’s been just (a) thrashing machine at the start, and this has been much more controlled.”

But the tactic backfired when both openers fell in the space of four balls.

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Max Bryant was dismissed for just five off 10 while trying to turn a Nathan McAndrew ball down leg side, only popping it straight up into the air to the waiting hands of Alex Ross. It left Heat down 1-13 off 2.4.

The Thunder then “set the trap”, according to Brett Lee, which Chris Lynn fell into as he tried to accelerate the run rate. Lynn slashed a Daniel Sams slower ball straight to the fielder at short cover, departing for nine off seven. It left Heat 2-16 after 3.1 overs.

Sam Heazlett and English import Ben Duckett rode their luck with a number of dropped chances - including Heazlett’s two in back-to-back balls mentioned earlier - as they rebuilt the innings with an 83-run partnership.

Then Heazlett was finally dismissed in the 15th over for 42 off 37, leaving the Heat 3-99. Wickets continued to tumble, with Thunder’s Gurinder Sandhu backing up his two recent hat-tricks in the Marsh One-Day Cup with an impresive debut for his new BBL team. Sandhu picked up the wickets of Jack Wildermuth and Duckett (46 off 35) in the space of an over, before Brisbane captain Peirson departed the following over, caught trying to cut Tanveer Sangha for 3 off 5 and leaving Heat 3-111.

Sandhu finished with 2-17 off his four overs, conceding a six in his final over. It was the first six of the Heat’s innings, coming in the 18th over of their disappointing innings.

Fellow quick Daniel Sams was another who impressed with the ball in hand, picking up James Bazley for one off three, spooning the ball for easy catch for Ben Cutting in the 19th over. Sams finished with 3-22 off his four overs.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman was dismissed for a golden duck to open the final over, spooning a back-of-a-length ball from Nathan McAndrew straight to Green at mid on. McAndrew had 2-33 from his four overs in a solid all-round bowling display from the Thunder.

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TEAM NEWS

Thunder XI:

Alex Hales, Sam Whiteman, Matthew Gilkes, Sam Billings (wk), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green (c), Gurinder Sandhu, Tanveer Sangha

Heat XI:

Chris Lynn, Max Bryant, Ben Duckett, Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson (c) (wk), Jack Wildermuth, James Bazley, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Matt Kuhnemann, Liam Guthrie

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