BBL knockout final 2020-21: Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat – live!

7th over: Thunder 46-1 (Ferguson 9, Khawaja 25)

Gregory has already been in the action tonight with a nice catch to dismiss Hales and now he comes in to bowl. He gets off to a nice start, not allowing Khawaja too much room, just taking a single, while Ferguson does the same. Both Thunder batters are playing some nice shots, but just can’t break through the field at the moment. Gregory loses his grip midway through the over and lets go of a big no ball. Ferguson gets a big shot away which is taken by a fielder, but fortunately it’s off the free hit. Eventually Khawaja breaks through with a much needed boundary, punching it off his hip for four. He follows it up with another four on the last ball, starting to look more authoritative now.

6th over: Thunder 33-1 (Ferguson 7, Khawaja 15)

Swepson comes in for his first over of the night, getting into the spin soon after the conclusion of the power play. Khawaja takes a quick single to start the over, before Ferguson does the same off the second ball. The batters aren’t looking too panicked just yet, exchanging singles throughout the over – they know the importance of building this partnership.

5th over: Thunder 28-1 (Ferguson 5, Khawaja 12)

Ferguson blocks out his first couple of balls from Laughlin before putting in a more attacking shot that fails to beat the fielder. A couple of singles from each of the batters before Ferguson settles in with a boundary from the final ball of the over.

Hales didn’t look comfortable out there and he’s off after hitting it straight to Gregory – it’s the Thunder’s second worst powerplay of the season.

4th over: Thunder 22-1 (Hales 8, Khawaja 11)

Steketee is back for his second over and Khawaja opens the face of the back and guides it down to the rope past third for four, he’s looking much more settled now and knows how to work with Manuka’s fast outfield. Steketee follows it up with a wide, but great fielding from Peirson cuts it off from heading for the boundary. A dot ball and a single follow, the swing already less of a factor just four overs in. Another big appeal as Hales swings for a pull shot and it heads straight to the keeper, but the umpire rules he didn’t connect with the ball.

3rd over: Thunder 16-0 (Hales 8, Khawaja 6)

Laughlin comes into the attack now and Khawaja works it off the hip for a single to start. Hales gets off the mark with an easy two off the next ball, with the Thunder batters looking a little more relaxed. A looser shot from Hales on the third ball goes flying over the head of Denly at third and sails away to the boundary. Hales plays it safer with a defensive shot on the following ball, but this over has already been their best so far. A big swing at the ball for no run next, before finishing with a relaxed two from the last ball.

2nd over: Thunder 7-0 (Hales 0, Khawaja 5)

Steketee comes on to open from the other end, hoping to continue his form from Friday. Unfortunately he starts with a big wide, even Khawaja looking surprised at how wide the ball is. Coming around the wicket Steketee has adjusted well after the first ball, swinging the ball very well and seriously restricting the Thunder who will be starting to get nervous about the lack of runs on the board. Eventually Khawaja gets the breakthrough and gracefully guides the ball to the boundary for four. Steketee follows up with a bouncer, which Khawaja wisely ducks under. A catch opportunity on the last flies past the bowlers hands and Khawaja sneaks a single.

1st over: Thunder 1-0 (Hales 0, Khawaja 0)

Bartlett starts with the ball, a nice ball first up and Khawaja takes his time to get into the game, leaving the first and blocking the second. A little more attacking with the third, but it goes straight to the fielder and there’s no run. A big appeal for on the fifth, but Khawaja gets away with it and he manages a leg bye, with the umpire reminding the Heat that they’re at Manuka and not the Gabba, suggesting the ball was a bit high. A great over from Bartlett, a strong start for the Heat.

The last time the Thunder won the MBBL was the 2015-16 season and interestingly, that was the last time the Thunder won the WBBL as well. With the women getting the job done easily against the Stars back in November, is that a good sign for the men? Some nice words from some of the stars of that WBBL team today, really demonstrating that “one club” philosophy they are so well known for.

There’s still about 15 mins until the game starts, so if you’d like to keep yourself entertained in the meantime, please feel free to read this story I wrote before the Sydney Test about the lengths administrators have gone to for men’s sport since the start of the pandemic.

Don’t forget if you have any opinions you want to share with our happy little community here at The Guardian, you can tweet or email me – the links are at the top of the page and I’d love to hear from you. Particularly if you want to reminisce about how funny the end of last night’s game was, I could hear about that for the rest of my life.

In better news for the Scorchers, Mitch Marsh has escaped suspension for the dissent he showed after his dismissal last night. He has been fined $5000 but will be free to play in the team’s final on Thursday.

The other big news is that a Covid case in a hotel quarantine staff member in Perth has sent the city into a five day lockdown. This of course has ramifications for the final that the Scorchers are supposed to host on Thursday night and gives everyone a chance to use all their favourite Covid-related words as we all “pivot” and stay “flexible” and “adaptable”.

If you haven’t caught up on last night’s madness, now is a great time to do so. James Vince came within a whisker of being the Sixers’ first ever centurion, with Dan Hughes getting the biggest cheers of his life for blocking out an over and getting Vince on strike with one run left to get and Vince on 98. The tension built throughout the ground, only for Andrew Tye to bowl a wide first ball of the over to Vince, thus ending the game. It was one of the funniest games of cricket I’ve ever seen, which makes it one of the best. If you missed it, you can re-live it all with Scott Heinrich’s blog of the game.