Thunder alive after Scorchers stumble

The score: Sydney Thunder 4-175 (Usman Khawaja 85, Callum Ferguson 25; Tim Bresnan 2-38) defeated Perth Scorchers 4-172 (Cameron Bancroft 75 not out, Hilton Cartwright 65 not out; Fawad Ahmed 1-19)

Match in a tweet: Phew! The Thunder keep their finals hopes alive despite a magnificent partnership between Cartwright and Bancroft. Khawaja blasts 85 for the winning side #BBL07

The hero: Usman Khawaja announced his arrival in the seventh edition of the KFC Big Bash League with a stunning hand of 85 for the Thunder. The elegant left-hander feasted on a Scorchers attack bereft of Australia ODI squad members Andrew Tye, Jhye Richardson and Englishman David Willey, hammering eight boundaries and four sixes in his 51-ball knock. The Thunder were 3-138 when Khawaja departed, caught by Michael Klinger at cover off the bowling of Ashton Agar, and he helped set a superb platform. The 31-year-old boasts a remarkable BBL record, with 904 runs at 53.17 from 22 matches. Of the top 20 run-scorers in BBL history, Khawaja is one of only two players to play less than 30 matches – the other being Englishman Kevin Pietersen, who has represented the Melbourne Stars 29 times. “He’s done it easily. He’s played shots all around the wicket to both spin and pace,” National selector Mark Waugh said on Channel 10.

The support cast: He wasn’t the leading wicket-taker, but Fawad Ahmed delivered an impressive spell through the middle overs when the Scorchers were looking to lift their run rate. The consistent leg-spinner returned 1-19 from four overs, while Gurinder Sandhu (1-21) also played a vital role in the triumph. Sandhu’s ability to concede only seven runs in the 19th over – after the Thunder threatened to pull off a remarkable win and needed 31 from the last two overs – was also noteworthy.

The consolation efforts: Test opener Cameron Bancroft rediscovered some of his best form in his first outing of the summer for the Scorchers. After experiencing a testing time in the Magellan Ashes, Bancroft stood tall and struck an impressive 75 not out from 56 balls after his team experienced a top-order collapse. Bancroft and Hilton Cartwright (65 not out) put on an unbroken 137-run stand from 85 balls for the fifth wicket and smashed half-a-dozen sixes between them, with the partnership setting the stage for a drama-packed final over. The Scorchers needed 24 from the final six balls and started with a four and a six before no ball from Mitchell McClenaghan swung the match in the Scorchers’ favour. In the end, the home side prevailed by three runs to keep their finals hopes alive.

The moment: Ashton Turner has been in red-hot form BBL|07 and was again going to be key to his team’s hopes of completing a successful run chase. But he was trapped lbw by Gurinder Sandhu for only three in the sixth over, which left the Scorchers wobbling at 3-32 and meant they lost their two most dangerous players –Klinger made just four – during the PowerPlay. The visitors hit just four boundaries in the first 10 overs and while Bancroft and Cartwright produced a stand to savour against the odds and almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, the holes the Thunder punched in their opponent’s top order proved decisive.

The stat: Khawaja’s magnificent knock marked the fifth consecutive time he has passed 50 at BBL level, with the other four innings coming in BBL|05, when Khawaja made 345 runs at a ridiculous average of 172.50 as the Thunder claimed the title.

The fielding effort: Plenty of catches have gone down in BBL|07, but Will Bosisto’s athletic display on the boundary to prevent a powerful Ben Rohrer strike from clearing the rope deserves another look…

The silly point: How about this hilarious reaction from Fawad after he caught Bosisto? 

The fantasy wrap: Khawaja ($113,600) topped the rankings with 115 points, while value picks Bancroft ($30,000) scored 109 and Cartwright ($28,200) 97.

The next stops: The Scorchers (5-2) will be looking to rebound when they tackle the Adelaide Strikers (5-1) in a bumper clash in Alice Springs on Saturday, while the Thunder (3-4) will take on arch rivals the Sydney Sixers (0-6) in the Sydney Smash as part of a double-header.

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