Stable Thunder out to make an early statement: BBL|15 preview

Sydney Thunder defied the odds to finish runners-up last season, so with a fit and (mostly) healthy list entering the new campaign, belief is high they can go one better in KFC BBL|15.

While the landmark signing of Indian superstar Ravichandran Ashwin didn't eventuate due to a knee injury while preparing for the tournament, the Thunder drafted Pakistan leg-spinner allrounder Shadab Khan to complement a stable squad that includes returning internationals Sam Billings and Lockie Ferguson.

Crucially, all three overseas recruits are available for finals should the Thunder qualify again. Billings and Shadab will both play the full season, while England left-armer Reece Topley will fill-in for Ferguson until the New Zealand speedster arrives after the UAE's T20 tournament wraps up.

Add in David Warner's leadership, which many credit to helping take the Thunder to a new level last summer, and the club is well-placed to be contending again come late January.

Warner's side will open their BBL|15 campaign with a mouthwatering rematch of last season's decider as they travel to Hobart to take on defending champions the Hurricanes on Tuesday night.

BBL|15 club previews

 Heat | Renegades | Scorchers | Sixers | Thunder

However, the former Australian opener will miss their first match with injury but is hoping to be back for their first home game of the season – the blockbuster Sydney Smash against the Sixers on Saturday night at Engie Stadium.

"We're back, hopefully with a bigger bang than last season and we get to go down to Hobart and try and upset the 'Canes down there in the grand final rematch," said Warner, speaking before the injury.

"I want the guys to look at (the first game) as making a statement to the rest of the BBL.

"It shows how hungry the boys are to get together and what it means to play and be part of the BBL. All the guys are pumped to be here and get amongst it again after the season that we had last summer."

Emerging Tasmanian allrounder Aidan O'Connor and replacement player Charlie Anderson are the only additions to the Thunder squad this season, with Nic Maddinson also back in the mix after missing the entire BBL|14 campaign due to finger surgery.

Jason Sangha (Adelaide Strikers), the Thunder's top scorer in their loss to the Hurricanes in the final, departed the club during the off-season, as has Liam Hatcher in returning to the Melbourne Stars.

The Thunder reached the final last summer despite a terrible run with injuries, with Cameron Bancroft, Daniel Sams and Sherfane Rutherford all having their seasons cut short.

But Bancroft and Sams are fit and in form to kick off the new campaign; Bancroft having already amassed more than 400 runs in the Sheffield Shield this summer, while Sams (14 wickets) was the leading wicket-taker for Barbados Royals playing alongside Thunder teammate Chris Green (eight wickets) in this year's Caribbean Premier League.

"The number one goal is getting to that final," Green said.

"We've got a great group, a very similar group to last season, with some really good additions.

"We've got the group to do some really special things this tournament but it's a long journey and we've just got to take it one game at a time and make sure that we qualify first for that final four, and then push hard into finals as we did last season.

"We want to go one further.

"With full availability, I think we've got the capabilities to go and do that.

"There's a lot of belief for us from getting to the final last season (despite) a lot of injuries and unavailability."

Last season

Result: Runners-up, lost the Final to the Hurricanes

 

Most runs: David Warner (405)

 

Most wickets: Chris Green (12)

BBL|15 squad

Tom Andrews, Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Aidan O'Connor, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, David Warner. Replacement players: Reece Topley, Charlie Anderson

 

Ins: Aidan O'Connor, Charlie Anderson

 

Outs: Liam Hatcher (Stars), Jason Sangha (Strikers), Dan Christian, Toby Gray

 

Internationals: Sam Billings (England), Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Reece Topley (England). Withdrawn: Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

 

Head coach: Trevor Bayliss

Season schedule

Possible best XIs

Full strength: David Warner (c), Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings (wk), Shadab Khan, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Lockie Ferguson, Tanveer Sangha, Ryan Hadley

 

For the first game: Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, Matthew Gilkes, Sam Billings (wk), Shadab Khan, Daniel Sams, Chris Green (c), Nathan McAndrew, Reece Topley, Tanveer Sangha, Ryan Hadley

Player availability

Kiwi fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will play out the season with Desert Vipers in the UAE before joining the Thunder halfway through BBL|15. Fellow overseas recruits Sam Billings and Shadab Khan are both available for the full season including finals, while English quick Reece Topley replaces Ferguson until he arrives for the second half of the campaign as well as finals. Topley then heads off to play in the South Africa T20 league once Ferguson arrives.

"If you look at the balance of our squad, we've got genuine competition for spots throughout the order from one to 11," Green said. "The guys missing out in the XI on Tuesday would be playing for a lot of other teams.

"It's healthy competition; it's good to have that and it's a great selection headache for the coaches and Davey (Warner)."

Overseas recruits

Sam Billings (England): A Big Bash stalwart who returns for his fourth stint with the Thunder. Secured as their pre-draft direct signing last year, the English wicketkeeper-batter is also contracted for next season.

Billings provides a calming influence in the Thunder's middle order and was the player of the match in their Challenger victory over rivals Syndey Sixers last season. He arrives for the Australian summer fresh off leading Oval Invincibles to a third straight Hundred triumph in August.

Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand): One of the quickest bowlers in the game, the Black Caps right-armer took eight wickets in six appearances for the Thunder last season, his first in the BBL. Ferguson returns for second straight stint with the club after being drafted with pick eight in June, but this time he'll play the second half of the season having missed the Thunder's run to the final last January due to other T20 commitments.

Shadab Khan (Pakistan): Taken with pick 12 in the overseas player draft, the Thunder will be the Pakistan leg-spinning allrounder's fourth Big Bash club having previously represented Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes and the Sixers. A former No.1-ranked bowler in T20Is, Shadab has 345 wickets from 322 T20 matches and averages almost 20 with the bat, batting as high as No.4 for Pakistan. His availability for the entire season gives the Thunder enormous flexibility as to how their structure their XI.

Reece Topley (England): The left-armer will join his second Big Bash club after previously playing for Melbourne Renegades in BBL|11 where he took nine wickets in eight matches. Topley, who has represented England 65 times in white-ball cricket, has been signed as a replacement player for Lockie Ferguson during the first half of the tournament.

"Shadab Khan is an all-round player – leg-spinner, batter and amazing fielder," Green said. "Sam Billings is loud wicketkeeper and a great batter and Reece Topley is a tall fast bowler with Lockie Ferguson to come, so we’ve got a great mix, and it adds to our balance."

Inside word with Thunder captain David Warner

Going one further

The Thunder had as many as six replacement players on their books last season due to a host of injuries but still went within a Mitch Owen masterclass of claiming the title after posting 7-182 batting first in the final.

Now with almost a full squad to pick from for the first game bar Warner himself due to an untimely side injury, the skipper believes they can go to the next level in BBL|15.

"The way that we played we probably didn't expect to actually make the final," Warner said. "I think we were very scrappy; we won a lot of close games, and we didn't play a complete game.

"If we can go another step closer this season and hopefully lift that trophy, it would mean a lot to the Western Sydney community and all our followers around Australia."

Will Warner open?

The Thunder captain formed a profitable opening combination with young gun Sam Konstas last season with at least one going on to score a half-century in three of their five innings together.

At every level, Warner has opened for almost his entire career. But he revealed last week he might bat down the order at times in BBL|15 to give the Thunder line-up a different option.

"It's more for a match-up and strategic point of view," Warner said. "We don't have that left-hander in the middle that we've been looking for (apart from) Matthew Gilkes and he's been batting extremely well."

But Gilkes has spent most of his 54-game T20 career batting in the top three.

"We were talking about it last season as well but unfortunately with the mishap with 'Samsy' (Daniel Sams) and 'Bangers' (Cameron Bancroft), we didn't get to that position," Warner said. "It's just a conversation we're having … there could be some opportunities where I bat three, I might bat in the middle, it just depends."

Player to watch

At more than 200cm tall, Reece Topley is ideally suited to bowling on Australian pitches. The towering left-armer played three T20 internationals Down Under in 2022 and took a wicket on average every 18 balls bowled. During his stint with the Renegades in BBL|11 his strike rate was even better (17.8).

"I played against him in the Hundred on some slow wickets where it was a little bit easier, but with the bounce here (in our practice match last week), he was fantastic," Warner said.

"I've played against him a few times and it's great to have him in our team … he'll definitely suit our home wicket, with his height specifically. We know our wicket tends to be a little bit low and slow, but I think it has more effect if you're a taller bowler."