Early ‘carnage’ for struggling Strikers as wickets fall in power play: BBL live

The Sydney Thunder have been likened to an “under 10s side” after the most shambolic collapse in Big Bash League history.

Strikers star Rashid Khan didn’t even get a chance to bowl as the Thunder were rolled for just 15 – the lowest total in international T20 history as they lasted just 35 balls.

Chasing 140 for victory, the Thunder simply embarrassed themselves on Friday night.

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They lost five wickets in the first 17 balls at the Sydney Showground – including Rilee Rossouw to arguably the catch of the summer.

“I’ve never seen a game of cricket like this ever,” Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee said.

“Daffy Duck’s going to get a cramp here! He’s been working hard all night – another duck.”

Alex Hales, Matt Gilkes, Jason Sangha, Chris Green and Gurinder Sandhu all departed without troubling the scorers.

Alex Ross went for 2 while Daniel Sams was unlucky to go for 1 after the ball deflected off his thigh pad onto the stumps.

“This is like an under 10s score,” commentator Dan Ginnane said.

Youngster Henry Thornton (5-3) and Wes Agar (4-6) were just too good – keeping the face of the league Khan and captain Peter Siddle out of the attack.

The Thunder’s 6-9 is the lowest six-fer in BBL history – the previous worst being 6-26.

And it only got worse from there.

The historic collapse was sparked by the catch of the summer by Thunder’s Matt Short.

Standing at first slip, Short leapt into the air and pulled in the one-handed catch.

“You won’t get a better catch. Stop the competition now. What a catch and an ‘oh what a feeling moment’,” Lee praised.

“This is what turns matches! Look at the way he anticipated.

“You little beauty.”

The Thunder’s shocking collapse soured what had been a brilliant performance with the ball from Afghani recruit Fazalhaq Farooqi.

“What he’s done very well is 14 dot balls – if you get 12 dot balls in a T20 match, that’s the benchmark,” Fox Cricket commentator Brett Lee praised.

“Fourteen is unbelievable.”

Strikers star recruit Chris Lynn could have been on his way for 0 had the Thunder opted to use their only challenge when he was trapped in front by Gurinder Sandhu (2-28) early in their innings.

“It’s carnage in Sydney,” Lee said.

“That’s out!” Lee said, as he watched Lynn get hit on the pads.

“Gotta go upstairs here. Bit high he’s saying.”

“He wants it. Behind the wicket just said going down leg. Gurinder is saying the only thing is height,” commentator Brad Haddin added.

“I would have gone especially because of Chris Lynn and the importance of his wicket early.”

The Strikers’ tactics were questioned by both Lee and Haddin when they opted against using the power play when Lynn and de Grandhomme were firing.

“I’d say where they went wrong the Strikers was not taking the Power Surge,” Lee said.

“(Lynn) was looking to go.

“All of a sudden, they’ve got Harry Nielsen out there trying to play those big shots against his own style.

“That’s where they lost the plot.”

Instead, both fell in the space of three balls as Brendan Doggett turned the match in a minute.

But it mattered little as the Strikers simply destroyed their opponent with the ball.

The Strikers won the bat flip and elected to bat first against the Thunder.

The match gets underway at 8.15pm (AEDT) in Sydney.

Thunder XI: Matthew Gilkes (WK), Alex Hales, Rilee Rossouw, Jason Sangha (C), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Oliver Davies, Chris Green, Gurinder Sandhu, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Brendan Doggett

Strikers XI: Jake Weatherald, Matthew Short, Chris Lynn, Adam Hose, Colin de Grandhomme, Tom Kelly, Harry Nielsen (WK), Rashid Khan, Wes Agar, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle (C)

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