Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes Prediction & Match Preview – BBL 2025-26
Match summary
BBL 2025-26 preview of Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes at Sydney Showground Stadium: form, key players, pitch, weather and likely totals.
Match details
| Match | Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes, 21st Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Big Bash League 2025-26 |
| Date | 3 Jan 2026 |
| Start time | 08:15 am GMT / 07:15 pm local |
| Venue | Sydney Showground Stadium, Sydney |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Hobart Hurricanes |
| Toss pick | Hobart Hurricanes |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Sydney Thunder host Hobart Hurricanes at Sydney Showground Stadium in the 21st match of BBL 2025-26. The Thunder have struggled for rhythm, with one win and four heavy defeats leaving them bottom, and with time running out they need to fix the finer details quickly.
Matthew Gilkes has been their best batter, scoring 165 in five outings at a strike rate of 181. Sam Billings and Sam Konstas have each passed 100, Cameron Bancroft often adds 25 to 30, and Shadab Khan has 104 runs from four innings at 125. Daniel Sams has seven wickets despite going for close to 10 an over, Reece Topley has five, and Shadab has also taken seven.
Hobart have won four of six and lie second. Nikhil Chaudhary has 211 runs at a strike rate of 155, Ben McDermott 183 in six games, and Matthew Wade has struck at nearly 190, with Mitch Owen also giving good starts.
Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis have shared 16 wickets with the new ball, Chris Jordan has been valuable at the death, and Rishad Hossain has eight wickets at an economy of 7.79. We expect the Hurricanes to extend their run.
Sydney Showground Stadium is known as a batting-friendly T20 venue. The pitch has consistent bounce and true pace, so batters can play shots from the start. Quick bowlers may find early movement, but the surface mostly favours stroke play, and a fast outfield helps good shots reach the boundary. Spinners can be effective with tight lines, though sharp turn is rare. Totals of 170 to 190 are common.
Expect a warm, comfortable evening of about 21–23 °C with partly cloudy skies and little threat of rain. Humidity may be moderate, with light to moderate winds.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 155–175 | – |
| Second innings | 145–165 | – |
Hobart Hurricanes
Hobart are second with four wins from six, while Thunder have one win from five and a net run rate of –1.463.
Toss pick: Hobart Hurricanes
FAQ
How are Sydney Thunder placed in BBL 2025-26?
They have one win and four heavy defeats, are at the foot of the table and have a net run rate of –1.463.
What makes Hobart Hurricanes favourites?
They have four wins from six, sit second and have strong form from Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben McDermott and Matthew Wade plus a potent attack.
Who has batted best for Thunder?
Matthew Gilkes, with 165 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 181.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Sydney Thunder
- David Warnerc
- Sam Konstas
- Cameron Bancroft
- Matthew Gilkes
- Sam Billingswk
- Shadab Khan
- Daniel Sams
- Chris Green
- Nathan McAndrew
- Tanveer Sangha
- Reece Topley
Hobart Hurricanes
- Mitchell Owen
- Tim Ward
- Nikhil Chaudhary
- Ben McDermott
- Macalister Wright
- Matthew Wadewk
- Rehan Ahmed
- Chris Jordan
- Nathan Ellisc
- Rishad Hossain
- Riley Meredith
Head-to-head
Earlier meetings of Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes that we covered.