THE FACTS
When is Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder taking place? Monday, 31st December - 08:15 (UK)
Where is Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder taking place? Adelaide Oval
What is the expected weather for Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder? 25-27c with sunshine expected all day
What channel is Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder on? Channel 7 & Fox in Australia & BT Sport 2 in the UK
Where can I stream Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder? BT Sport subscribers can stream the match online via the BT Sport website
Where can I get tickets for Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Thunder? http://www.adelaidestrikers.com.au/tickets
THE STATISTICS
HEAD-TO-HEAD
All-time meetings: Adelaide Strikers W5, Sydney Thunder W3, No result 1
Last meeting: Adelaide Strikers beat Sydney Thunder by 25 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
ADELAIDE STRIKERS
Coach: Jason Gillespie
Captain: Colin Ingram
- It has been a disappointing start to their BBL08 for the Strikers having lost two matches to Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers after they had opened with a victory over Brisbane Heat so they will be desperate to get back to winning ways here.
- They were humbled last time out by the Scorchers who bowled them out for just 88 and that came after an opening stand of 25 so they desperately need their fragile middle order of Ingram, Short, Wells and Lehmann to raise their game quickly with captain Ingram being extremely disappointing so far.
- They are boosted by the return of Peter Siddle who has been released by Australia and he was key in their opening win against the Heat taking 1/8 from his two overs so that will help bolster their already impressive bowling unit.
SYDNEY THUNDER
Coach: Shane Bond
Captain: Shane Watson
- Sydney Thunder have picked up two wins against Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers so far but are coming off a defeat against Hobart Hurricanes in what was a classic match on Friday as the Thunder smashed 193/6 only to see the Hurricanes chase it down with seven wickets and five balls to spare.
- There is little doubt that Thunder have been easily the best batting team in the tournament so far with Jos Buttler in stunning form with two half centuries and 172 runs from three innings, but they will face their toughest test so far against what is one of the best two bowling units in the tournament.
- Thunder have named an unchanged squad for this match and while they are not expected to overreact to that defeat last time out, they may decide to rotate Nathan McAndrew out of the side and bring in either Arjun Nair or Gurinder Sandhu to freshen things up.
THE PREDICTION
The best batting line-up faces one of the top two bowling units in the tournament here with Thunder taking on the Strikers in Adelaide. Jos Buttler has started the tournament in sensational style and with him firing on all cylinders, the Thunder are capable of winning any match. Their bowling unit has not been producing at the same level as their batsmen however. The Strikers welcome back Siddle who will be key for them and they will bank on early wickets against this Thunder team and really squeeze them with Siddle and Rashid Khan. It has been a slow start for the champions, but they can get back to winning ways at home here.
