Twitter Reactions: Sydney Thunder kickoff BBL 7 winning a last ball thriller

Arjun Nair along with Adrian Blizzard hit 3 fours when their side needed 15 off the last over.

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Sydney Thunder
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Mitchell McClenaghan of the Thunder celebrates the run out of Sam Billings. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Shane Watson’s 77 off 46 balls helped the Sydney Thunder start their campaign on the winning note after their bowlers had stopped the Sixers for 149 runs with spinners making major contributions. Earlier in the day, it was Watson who won the toss and opted to have a go at Moises Henriques led Sydney Sixers batting.

His decision looked effective when Mitchell McClenaghan had opener Jason Roy in his 1st over of the game. Nick Maddinson walked in with an intent as he smashed two fours and a six off Chris Green’s first over after playing three dots in a row early in his innings. Maddinson continued the assault as he welcomed the Thunder skipper with a six. He hit 2 more boundaries in the same Watson over as Sixers crossed 50-run mark in the sixth over.

Spinners introduction brought the wicket of Maddinson when Fawad Ahmed wrapped the left-hander in front of the stumps. 19-year-old Arjun Nair was welcomed by a six from Sixers’ skipper Henriques. Nair had his man in the same over when he miscued a shot allowing his counterpart Watson to swallow the ball. Nair and Ahmed tightened their grip around the Sixer batting as they managed to get rid of 4 Sixers’ batsmen in their 8 overs by giving away only 40 runs. Fawad Ahmed gave away just 11 runs in his 4 overs picking up two wickets.

Sam Billings along with Steve O’Keefe with some quick runs took their side to a decent total as Sixers finished their innings for 149 for 9.

The chase

Thunder’s run chase was hampered when Jos Butler went off the park for zero trying to deposit one over the boundary. Watson at the other end was playing a brilliant but slow inning as Kurtis Patterson was adding pressure on the Thunder’s skipper.

The veteran smacked a four and a six in an O’Keefe over while trying to pull the asking rate down. Daniel Sams returned to rattle the stumps of struggling Patterson. He scored 29 runs off 37 balls. Watson completed his half-century when he deposited Bollinger for a six.

O’Keefe repaired his bowling figures when he fed four dot balls to Ryan Gibson as the right-hander continued to struggle in finding the gaps. Watson then got the strike back in the Abbott over, hit 2 fours and a six pulling his side back in the game all alone.

Gibson’s rusty innings was cut short when his pull was pouched by O’Keefe diving forward. Sams got rid of Watson very next ball when the right-hander tried to smack the ball over cover. 4 for 14 in his 4 overs helped the Sixers get back in the game.

Arjun Nair along with Adrian Blizzard hit 3 fours when their side needed 15 off the last over. Thunder needed 1 off the last ball and Nair tucked the ball towards the covers to win the game for the side.

Here is how Twitter reacted during the course of the exciting game:

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