Big six ignites Thunder veteran
SHANE Watson wound back the clock to lead the Sydney Thunder to a 71-run thumping of the Adelaide Strikers, igniting its Big Bash League season.
The former Test opener smashed 68 off 40 balls in a captain’s knock to fire his side to 6-168 before the Strikers were rolled for 97 at Spotless Stadium yesterday.
Not only was it an important mental victory after routing the defending champions, it also jumped the Strikers into the top four.
Watson plundered four fours and five sixes in what was his first half-century of the tournament and said smashing the ball on to the roof against the Heat last week had proved something to himself.
“I’d been mis-hitting the ball for the last couple of games,” he said.
“That was definitely the catalyst to know that I’ve still got it. I had a couple of training days in the lead-up, which was good to work on things from a technical point of view. It all clicked today.”
Spinner Arjun Nair starred for the Thunder with the ball, taking 3-12, including the wicket of Colin Ingram (48) — the only Adelaide batsman to pass 11.
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