Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Preview & Prediction | BBL|14 | League Stage
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Perth Scorchers are on the hunt for their third consecutive BBL 14 victory as they host Sydney Thunder, one of the standout teams so far this season.
Date & time: Friday January 3rd 2025: USA PT – 2:15am / USA ET – 5:15am / UK – 10:15am
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia
Weather: Dry with clear skies and a gentle breeze as temperatures should hold at above 20c
How to watch: USA – Willow TV / UK – Sky Sports & Sky Go / Australia – Seven Network, Foxtel & Kayo Sports
How to get tickets for BBL|14: Click here for the latest ticket information for Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder
Perth Scorchers Preview: Starting to get hot
After a fairly slow start which had seen them lose two of their first three matches (both defeats coming away from home), Perth Scorchers are now starting to show their class. Back-to-back wins against Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers ensures a positive win/loss record at the halfway point of their league phase campaign.
They remain unbeaten at Optus Stadium so far, albeit having played just two games on home turf. The Scorchers also boast one of the form players across the competition in young phenom Cooper Connolly, more on him below.
Sydney Thunder Preview: Six points from a possible eight
Many were quietly optimistic over the prospects of Sydney Thunder this season and those positive impressions have come to fruition so far, with David Warner’s side having won three of their four league stage fixtures played. Their only defeat came at hands of inter-city rivals and league leaders Sydney Sixers, a thrilling encounter which went right to the last ball.
For the Thunder to bounce back from such a heart-breaking loss and put two more wins on the board against both Melbourne teams is a testament to an impressive fighting spirit and the belief within their camp.
Perth Scorchers Betting Analysis
When it comes to Perth Scorchers, bettors will rightly continue being drawn to their 21-year-old wonderkid. Cooper Connolly has been magnificent with the bat so far across BBL 14, racking up 229 runs over the course of five innings at an average of 57.25. To put that into perspective, no other batter from any of the eight teams has managed to score 200 runs or more heading into Friday’s double-header. Such numbers cannot be ignored and it’s well worth backing Connolly to register another 30+ runs here.
Sydney Thunder Betting Analysis
It’s been very much a team effort so far for Sydney Thunder without any standout performers. They have dealt with the loss of opener Sam Konstas to international duty and captain David Warner has stepped up when needed. Warner struck a brilliant unbeaten 86 last time out against Melbourne Renegades in what was a welcome return to the big scores for a player who had endured an extended slump across all competitions this year. Back a fighter like Warner to follow this up with over 22.5 match runs in this game.
Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Expert Prediction
There’s something very exciting about this Sydney Thunder side right now under the command of Warner and it genuinely feels like they can win any game in any environment. In the past a fixture like this would see them written off, but Warner has clearly instilled belief and a winning culture into the squad and they’ll be expected to go toe-to-toe with Perth Scorchers here. Whilst it represents a risk backing the visiting team at Optus Stadium, Sydney Thunder have shown that they warrant such faith despite their underdog status
Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Thunder Top Tip: Sydney Thunder to win
