Veteran Domination: Kallis,Hussey Lead Huge Victory in KFC Big Bash

The Sydney Thunder opened their 2014/15 Big Bash League campaign at home against the Brisbane Heat in splendid fashion as they registered a 56-run victory over Brisbane Heat earlier today. The win is only the Thunder’s second in 22 matches following their 19-match losing streak that ended last season.

Jacques Kallis and Michael Hussey were instrumental in Sydney achieving a comprehensive victory as Hussey scored 96, and Kallis an unbeaten 97, to put on a record breaking 160 for the first wicket – only six short of the Thunder’s highest team score before today and comfortably the highest partnership for any wicket for the Thunder and the second-highest partnership by any team in the BBL. The crowds were witness to amazing batting supremacy as the legends masterfully collected their runs and showed yet again, that T20 can be played the conventional way to full impact.

The Heat’s faced a tough chase and it got a lot harder by the third ball of the innings when debutant Simon Milenko fell for a duck. Kallis then bowled Dan Christian for 8 in the third over. The middle order trio of Joe Burns, who made 28, Chris Lynn, 40, and Nathan Reardon, 49, brought the match back into the balance and Thunder captain Hussey admitted to being worried when they were at the crease but the required run rate never dropped below 12 after the ninth over. Lynn was dismissed by new signing Andrew MacDonald in the twelfth over and after Reardon fell in the fifteenth the Heat fell away miserably with only Peirson joining Burns, Lynn and Reardon in double figures.

Ultimately, the Heat lost after getting bowled out for 152 and lost by 56 runs.

Scorecard:

Sydney Thunder 208/1 (20/20 ov)     Kallis 97*,Hussey 96

Brisbane Heat 152 (17.5/20 ov)            Lynn 45, Sandhu 3-19