Replacement Andrews in plans as Thunder fine tune ENGIE edge

Tom Andrews is poised to be rewarded with his first full Big Bash contract as KFC BBL|14 runners-up Sydney Thunder prepare to double down on their "foreign" home ground advantage next season.

ENGIE Stadium was the lowest scoring of the nine venues to host multiple games in BBL|14, with an average first innings total of 153 and collective batting average 20.27.

The batting strike rate across the season at the Western Sydney venue (122.3) was almost 13 runs fewer than the next lowest – Marvel Stadium (134.9) – emphasising the upper hand enjoyed by bowlers at ENGIE Stadium compared to elsewhere.

While Nathan McAndrew showed seamers could also be effective there with 5-16 to down Melbourne Stars in the Knockout final, it was the spinners who proved the toughest to get away with a combined economy rate of 6.60 compared to 7.71 for pace bowlers.

Andrews, who two years ago had accepted his professional playing days were over when delisted by Tasmania, revived his top-flight career as a replacement player in BBL|14 to play a key role in the injury-hit Thunder's run to the grand final.

Alongside Chris Green and Tanveer Sangha, Andrews was one-third of a dominant Thunder spin attack that made life difficult for opposition batters on the slower surface at ENGIE Stadium, with all three operating at economy rates below seven-and-a-half runs per over.

Such was the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder's form in a breakthrough BBL campaign that it led to suggestions from his Thunder skipper David Warner that he should have been in the conversation if Matthew Kuhnemann was ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test tour due to injury.

Thunder general manger Trent Copeland said the club would continue to build around the distinctive characteristics of their home ground, but he doesn't expect it to be as extreme next season.

"At home, we ended up going with a group and a commitment to conditions that were really foreign to most players in the Big Bash, and bar the game we lost against the Sixers when Ben Dwarshuis got them over the line, we dominated there," Copeland said.

"There's an expectation that ENGIE Stadium won't be that dramatic in the future.

"But what was really successful for us versus other teams was acknowledging the conditions and really committing to a game style that's going to win us the game.

"It was play the game and each ball that's in front of you, not play the game to be the biggest hero of the tournament.

"Tommy Andrews was brilliant in that, Tanveer (Sangha) was excellent, as were players like Davey (Warner), Sam Billings and 'Bangers' (Cameron Bancroft) early in the tournament when he got 70 there."

Towards the end of the BBL|14 season, the tiring ENGIE Stadium pitch became such a challenge for batters to score that the Thunder were able to defend 7-135 in the Knockout (bowling the Stars out for 114), while they also bowled the Scorchers out for 97 after posting 7-158.

The visiting side opted to bowl first in all four games at ENGIE Stadium in BBL|14, but the Sixers the only successful chasing team with Dwarshuis hitting 15 runs off the final over to get his side over the line in a last ball thriller in the venue's season opener.

"We do want it to still be that the ball stops in the wicket, the ball turns, but it is still a good batting surface that we're seeing scores between 150 and 170 or higher every game," Copeland said.

"So it's kind of a hybrid – yes, we still want those characteristics to build around but outside of our really good bowling performances, we don't want it to be teams getting bowled out for 90 in the second innings because it's turning massive.

"What I don't think we want to do is get to a surface where you turn up for the bat flip and you know if you win the toss and you bat second, you can chase anything.

"Our best avenue for success and continued improvement is to find that sweet spot between (good batting conditions) and someone that's facing left-arm spin or Tanveer Sangha is going to have to be bloody good at playing spin, not just clearing the front leg and slog sweeping."

Building on their spin bowling strength is just one of the reasons why Copeland wants Andrews back for next season, with his lower-order hitting also proving valuable in BBL|14 with his strike rate of 206 for 66 runs the club's second fastest for the season behind Daniel Sams (214).

As a replacement player, the Thunder weren't permitted to sign Andrews during the Player Movement Window, but will be able to add a further six domestic players to their list for BBL|15 once the league's contracting embargo lifts later this month.

Prior to BBL|14, Andrews had played seven T20 games at three different clubs (Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes) – all as a replacement player during a career that also spanned 17 first-class matches and 36 one-dayers for South Australia and Tasmania.

The 30-year-old was working as financial planner in Adelaide – his new career path after accepting his nine-year domestic career was over when he lost his state contract at the end of the 2022-23 season – when he received an SOS from Copeland in late December.

"When I called him, he was literally in the financial planning office and had to ask his boss if he could he have a couple weeks off," Copeland said.

"He had played in a trial game for the Strikers Academy against us pre-tournament.

"We weren't sure if Tanveer Sangha was injured at that point and we had a couple of other injuries, and we were kind of trying to plug two holes with one, given that he's got some really good batting ability.

"For him to come in and do what he did was literally beyond our wildest expectations."

Andrews was brought into the Thunder line-up on December 28 against the Stars following a side strain injury to leg-spinner Sangha and played every game for the rest of the season, including all three finals.

He took a wicket in all nine of his BBL|14 matches, finishing equal second on the club's wickets tally behind Green (12) with 11 for the season at 19.72. He also earned player of the match honours for his 1-20 and 37 not out off 13 balls in their win over the Scorchers at ENGIE Stadium.

Having risen from last in the standings the season prior to fall at the final hurdle in BBL|14, Copeland believes the Thunder is ready to have a "real dip" at BBL silverware in coming seasons.

While strong at home where they won three of their four games, the Thunder also won twice in Canberra in BBL|14, as well as beating the Scorchers in Perth and the Sixers at the SCG in the Challenger.

"Making the finals was a massive improvement and good signs was the development of a lot of our younger players," he said.

"There's so much growth and opportunity in our team and our list that says this was the beginning and we can make a real dip into this tournament every year with the list that we got and the core we've got together."