- The Thunder only won one game last season
- They have rebuilt with Warner as captain.
- The rival captain has investigated a shocking record
Moises Henriques has lit the fuse ahead of the BBL’s first Sydney Smash of the summer, claiming it will be an “easy two points” when his Sydney Sixers take on the Sydney Thunder.
The Thunder have won just two of the last 10 meetings between local rivals, last tasting victory in January 2021 and entering the new season as the current wooden spooners.
One of the most successful teams in the league, the Sixers could have gone on a six-game winning streak against the Thunder if rain hadn’t washed out one of last year’s matchups.
Asked if he had given any thought to Saturday’s derby at the Sydney Showground when the draw was announced, Henriques shrugged.
“Every game is circled, but December 21, well, it’s usually two easy points for us, so I haven’t paid too much attention to it,” the veteran said.
Both the Sixers and Thunder are in winning form in what is expected to be a sold-out clash.
Sydney Sixers captain Moisés Henriques fired a cheeky sledge at David Warner and his Sydney Thunder ahead of the BBL showdown in the city.
Henriques swept the Sixers at home in their tournament opener against the Melbourne Renegades on Monday night.
Warner did not take Henriques’ taunt well and said they would have to back up his “arrogance”
Henriques swept the Sixers home in their tournament opener against the Melbourne Renegades on Monday night, before Daniel Sams did the same for the Sydney Thunder against the Adelaide Strikers a day later.
It was an encouraging opening note for the Thunder, whose 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas became the BBL’s youngest half-centurion with 56 runs on debut.
Playing the first full BBL season of his career, former Test opener David Warner warned Henriques not to write off the Thunder too easily this time.
‘If they want to give him arrogance then they have to back it up, right?
‘We know it’s a good contest. “They have pushed themselves to the limit most of the time and are a well-structured and balanced team,” Warner said.
Thunder’s only win last season was the smallest of any BBL team in 10 years, but pacer Wes Agar, West Indies globetrotter Sherfane Rutherford and former England international Sam Billings headline a list of summer reinforcements .
Konstas, Rutherford and Billings are expected to improve the Thunder’s batting prospects after only one player, Alex Hales, ranked among the BBL’s top 15 run-scorers last season.
“I think they have a good roster,” Henriques said.
“I hope they go into the final a lot more than last year.
‘(The Sydney Smash) is going to be a great game for us. “We played them twice, so being good in those two games for us is going to be a big part of whether we’re going to be successful or not.”