Both teams are searching for their second win of the season as the Thunder host the Scorchers in Western Sydney
Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers: match preview
Match facts
Who: Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers
What: Match 16, KFC BBL|15
Where: Engie Stadium, Sydney
When: Tuesday, December 30. Bat flip at 6.30pm AEDT, first ball at 7.15pm AEDT
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Listen: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen in standard and real-time with no delay to live play via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. Find out more here
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Sharad Patel and Donovan Koch (field), Sam Nogajski (third), Roberto Howard (fourth), Simon Fry (match referee)
Match squads
Sydney Thunder: David Warner (c), Tom Andrews, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Chris Green, Matt Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Shadab Khan, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, Reece Topley
Ins: Tom Andrews Outs: Aidan O'Connor (omitted)
Allrounder Tom Andrews comes back into the Thunder squad, replacing Aidan O'Connor.
Perth Scorchers: Ashton Turner (c), Ashton Agar, Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Laurie Evans, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli
Ins: Josh Inglis Outs: Bryce Jackson (omitted)
The Scorchers have received a huge boost, welcoming back dynamic gloveman Josh Inglis after being released from the Australian Test squad. Fast bowler Bryce Jackson has been omitted.
Club news
Sydney Thunder
Perth Scorchers
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Players to watch
Chris Green (Thunder): The off-spinner took 3-13 off four overs the last time the Thunder hosted the Scorchers at Engie Stadium as they bowled the visitors out for 97. The Thunder will be hoping to make full use of their familiar home conditions again as they return to Western Sydney seeking their second win of BBL|15.
Josh Inglis (Scorchers): Released from the Test squad for this match, Australia's white-ball gloveman will have a point to prove after missing out on the Boxing Day Test. Inglis played two games for the Scorchers last season and has since been part of Punjab Kings' run to this year's IPL final. He was then instrumental in Australia's T20 series whitewash of West Indies with two half-centuries. Will take over the wicketkeeping from Finn Allen for this match before rejoining the Test squad ahead of the fifth Ashes Test.
Top performers
Most Runs
BBL|15 BKT Golden Bat
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
1
Finn Allen
F Allen
|
466 |
|
2
David Warner
D Warner
|
433 |
|
3
Sam Harper
S Harper
|
381 |
|
4
Mitch Marsh
M Marsh
|
360 |
|
5
Aaron Hardie
A Hardie
|
339 |
|
6
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
324 |
|
7
Ben McDermott
B McDermott
|
322 |
|
8
Josh Brown
J Brown
|
311 |
Most Wickets
BBL|15 BKT Golden Arm
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Haris Rauf
H Rauf
|
20 |
|
2
Jack Edwards
J Edwards
|
19 |
|
3
Gurinder Sandhu
G Sandhu
|
18 |
|
4
Tom Curran
T Curran
|
16 |
|
5
Peter Siddle
P Siddle
|
16 |
|
6
Ben Dwarshuis
B Dwarshuis
|
16 |
|
7
Xavier Bartlett
X Bartlett
|
15 |
|
8
Lloyd Pope
L Pope
|
15 |
Most sixes scored
BBL|15
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Finn Allen
F Allen
|
38 |
|
2
Josh Brown
J Brown
|
20 |
|
3
Mitch Marsh
M Marsh
|
20 |
|
4
David Warner
D Warner
|
20 |
|
5
Nikhil Chaudhary
N Chaudhary
|
17 |
|
6
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
17 |
|
7
Ashton Turner
A Turner
|
16 |
|
8
Sam Harper
S Harper
|
15 |
Local knowledge
Rapid stats
- Sydney Thunder have won each of their past two BBL matches against Perth Scorchers; a third consecutive win in this game would equal their longest winning run against them in the history of the competition (won three from December 2021 to January 2023 and from January 2018 to January 2019).
- Perth Scorchers have won only one of their past seven BBL matches outside Western Australia – a seven-wicket victory against Adelaide Strikers (December 31, 2024). The Scorchers have lost each of their three games outside their home state since then – the last time they recorded a longer losing run in such fixtures was a five-match span from January to December in 2020.
- Finn Allen (Perth Scorchers) has scored 40-plus runs in each of his past two BBL innings (79, 43) and will be aiming to do so for a third consecutive innings for the first time in his career in the competition; he scored nine runs the last time he faced Sydney Thunder (January 13, 2025) after recording 68 in his only previous innings against them (January 3, 2025).
- Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder) scored 53 runs in his only previous innings against Perth Scorchers in the BBL (January 13, 2025); he's scored 113 runs at an average of 22.60 across his five innings in the competition since then with only one score of 30-plus in that stretch (63 v Brisbane Heat – December 22, 2025).
What's on the line?
As we near the halfway point of the season, this game looms as crucial for both sides as they seek their second win of BBL|15. With both the Thunder and Scorchers currently in the bottom half of the standings, a win here will see them move into the top four, while a loss will leave them with work to do to catch their rivals in the second half of the campaign.
KFC BBL|15 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
SCO
|
10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.363 | 0 | 14 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.605 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
HUR
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.331 | 0 | 13 |
|
4
STA
|
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.759 | 0 | 12 |
|
5
HEA
|
10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.431 | 0 | 10 |
|
6
STR
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.231 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
REN
|
10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.202 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -1.212 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points