By 62 runs, Sydney Thunder 228 for 6 (Hales 77, Davies 65, Ellis 4-37) defeated Sydney Thunder 166 (Wade 67, Dogget 4-35). Outstanding hits from Oliver Davies and Alex Hales helped Sydney Thunder compile the fourth-highest total in BBL history and cruise to a 62-run victory against Hobart Hurricanes. Thunder finished 228 for 6 before Matthew Wade’s rapid-fire performance had the Hurricanes up to their necks in the game and poised to shatter the record for the largest-ever BBL chase.
Davies and Hales Un-Stoppable in BBL 2023
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Thunder edged closer on their third straight triumph and put their poor start to the summer behind them as forgotten allrounder Ben Cutting claimed Wade’s wicket and Brendan Doggett ripped through the tail. Davies smashed his maiden half-century in the BBL on an exceedingly batter-friendly pitch at Albury’s Lavington Sports Ground, while English opener Hales was the calm hand when the Thunder were put in. Only Nathan Ellis was able to regularly disturb the batting order, as Davies was particularly eager to take advantage of the short boundaries down the ground.
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Six of his 10 boundaries flew over long-on or long-off before being caught at a backward point by Paddy Dooley off Ellis’ bowling. Hales became the tournament’s first player to get 200 runs and seemed destined to go undefeated until he was caught on the boundary rope by Tim David on the first ball of the last over. To begin the Hurricanes’ chase, Davies caught the dangerous D’Arcy Short at point off Doggett’s bowling, but Wade lost no time making amends.
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Short was ejected after hitting three sixes off-ramp shots in the same over, equaling his personal record for the quickest 50 by a Hurricanes player. Wade struck six sixes in 19 deliveries to achieve his half-century. On just his second delivery of the BBL season, Cutting coaxed Wade into toeing the ball to Rilee Rossouw at backward point, replacing the injured Gurinder Sandhu. Wade appealed the judgment, hoping for a bump ball, but the wicket remained after many replays, and the Hurricanes were dismissed for 105.
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Tim David, who had been promoted up the batting order, was run out following a pin-point throw from replacement Joel Davies, who was fielding in the BBL for the first time. Davies, Oliver’s younger brother, threw straight to wicketkeeper Matthew Gilkes from midwicket to catch David trying to sneak back for a second run. When their final two recognized hitters, Asif Ali and Shadab Khan, were both caught in the span of seven pitches, the Hurricanes were definitely in trouble, and it faded swiftly.
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