Cricket

The two Sydney clubs will face off under the lights in a blockbuster match-up for what promises to be a fantastic match. It will be the first time the Thunder have played under the lights since their season opener in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2016.

In this year’s Womens Big Bash, the Perth Scorchers will be looking to go one step further than the previous two seasons, having lost to the Sixers in the grand final on both occasions.

It may only be early in the Women's Big Bash, but a couple of early wins is a fantastic way to set the tone for a team’s campaign and Adelaide have set the foundations with their first win last time out.

In this year’s Womens Big Bash, the Hobart Hurricanes will be hoping to dramatically improve on their difficult campaign last season. The Tasmanian team finished last in table and only picked up two total wins - one of which came against the Melbourne Stars.

This is a vital match in the race for a play-off spot. With the Spartans seven points behind the Giants, they really need to win to maintain any hopes of overtaking them.

The return of key players Shakib al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal from injury may prove vital for a Bangladesh side that lacks star power but has the major benefit of home advantage.

Durban Heat have nothing but pride to play for after being eliminated last time out with three matches remaining. While they may be able to play with more freedom now, any loss of focus and motivation will only see them struggle even more here.

There is little doubt that the Cape Town Blitz have been the best team in the tournament so far but there are signs that their form has been dipping in recent matches after a fast start to the tournament.

This has all the hallmarks of a classic series and one which will be the ultimate challenge for both of these teams. India have all the momentum coming into this series, but they have never won in Australia and the conditions will certainly favour the hosts once again.

All the pressure is on the Durban Heat coming into this game as anything but a win will essentially wave goodbye to any realistic hopes they have of reaching the knockout phase. They can count upon Rashid Khan but the Afghanistan star can only do so much and they desperately need their international players to really step up their game as too many are not producing.

Now that all the T10 players are returning to the Mzansi Super League, the teams are starting to have a different look and feel to them now. The Spartans welcome back Morgan, while the Rocks have Delport and Bravo back in their ranks, which will add a different dynamic to the game.

Although this is first versus third, these are the two form teams in the tournament and this promises to be an excellent match. The Jozi Stars have been in stunning form of late with the bat especially as Reeza Hendricks is on fire and that line-up is only bolstered by the returning Chris Gayle who is back after T10 action in the UAE.