- Sam Konstas scored 56 off 27 balls for the Thunder
- Fastest half-century in BBL franchise history
- He will open the batting with David Warner
Rising star Sam Konstas is now a ‘lock’ to continue plundering runs for the Sydney Thunder after an impressive Big Bash debut against the Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on Tuesday night.
Incredibly, the 19-year-old only opened the batting alongside captain David Warner due to an injury to Nic Maddinson.
Konstas seized his moment, smashing the fastest 50 in Thunder history (off just 20 balls) in what was an eye-catching BBL debut.
Despite his wealth of red-ball runs this summer, including centuries for NSW and the Prime Minister’s XI against India, Konstas was not going to be the first-choice opener for the Thunder.
Instead, it was veteran Maddinson, at his fourth BBL club, who would initially take on the white ball with Warner.
Maddinson is out with a finger injury and Warner declared Konstas a “lock” in the XI for this weekend’s Sydney derby against the Sixers.
Sam Konstas is now a ‘lock’ to continue plundering runs for the Sydney Thunder after an impressive Big Bash debut against the Adelaide Strikers (pictured, with captain David Warner)
Konstas broke the fastest 50 in Thunder history, off just 20 balls, in what was an eye-catching performance.
The teenager now has 736 runs this summer in Sheffield Shield, One-Day Cup, Australia A and BBL along with his 107 for the Prime Minister’s XI (pictured, after his half-century at Manuka Oval).
‘I was really nervous. It’s quite surreal,” Konstas said after finishing with 56 off just 27 balls in front of his family at Manuka Oval.
‘It’s very special to have my family here. It was nice to get some runs and contribute.”
The teenager now has 736 runs this summer in Sheffield Shield, One-Day Cup, Australia A and BBL along with his 107 for the Prime Minister’s XI.
Konstas continues to put pressure on newly installed Test opener Nathan McSweeney, who passed 10 just once in five innings against India.
He failed again in Australia’s second innings on the fifth day of the third Test in Brisbane, mustering just four off 25 balls.
In a commentary for Fox Cricket, England great Michael Vaughan declared Konstas “It has the ceiling to be world class.”
“You watch the moves, you watch his skill levels, the flow of the bat, the little tricks… he can play seriously,” he said.
“I think he is wonderfully talented and has a great future.”