Big Bash League : Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder 1/31/2021 Cricket Prediction

The Australian Big Bash 2021 continues with the knockout match between the Brisbane Heat and the Sydney Thunder. The match will be played on Sunday January 31st at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. This is a match between two of the most in-form teams in left in the competition. Who will win and advance here in Canberra?

The Brisbane Heat are in superb form, having scored a fantastic win over the Adelaide Strikers in the eliminator game. Their bowling was superb as they limited the strikers to just 130/7 in their 10 overs before knocking the runs off fairly comfortably. They have been boosted by the return of their top batsman Marnus Labuschagne and will be chomping at the bit in their bid to make the finals. Along with Labuschagne, their other top batsmen in Chris Lynn and Joe Denly will be looking to lead from the front and carry the Heat to victory. 

The Sydney Thunder are also a team in good form, having won three consecutive matches. They have been heavily reliant by tournament leading run scorer Alex Hales who has a massive 535 runs thus far, leading the second placed batsman by a whopping 81 runs. They performed very consistently during the entire competition and have one of the most well-rounded squads. They will be very confident knowing that they have the edge in the head to head between the two sides and are surely backing themselves to reach the final. 

This has the potential to be a fantastic and close match between two fairly evenly balanced teams. Both teams boast multiple international players, some of whom can win a match on their own. 10 over matches obviously can be very unpredictable, and whoever gets off to the best start will be firmly in the drivers seat. The weather is expected to be a non-factor and this pitch traditionally favors the batsmen, so I am expecting a very high scoring game. All in all, I expect the Sydney Thunder to win this match. They have a very deep batting lineup and a strong bowling side so it is very tough to find a weakness. The Sydney Thunder to win a thrilling contest.