ST vs BH | Gilkes, Konstas and Shadab shine as Sydney Thunder open account with 34-run win over Brisbane Heat

Venkateswaran N

ByVenkateswaran N,SportsCafe Editor

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Sydney Thunder beat Brisbane Heat by 34 runs in their third game in Big Bash League 2025-26 at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Monday. Openers Matthew Gilkes and Sam Konstas scored half-centuries while leg-spinner Shadab Khan picked up four wickets as Thunder tasted their first win this season.

Matthew Gilkes

‌Sydney Thunder opened their account in the Big Bash League 2025-26 season with a 34-run win over Brisbane Heat in Canberra on Monday. Sam Konstas and Matthew Gilkes’ opening stand of 127 runs set the foundation as the side put on a formidable 193/4 before Shadab Khan shone with a four-wicket haul to restrict the Heat in the chase.

After being put into bat at the Manuka Oval, Thunder’s opening pair Konstas and Gilkes targeted Heat’s stand-in skipper Xavier Bartlett straight away. The pair smashed two fours and a six in his first over to take the side to 37/0 at the end of the four-over powerplay. After a couple of overs without a boundary, the duo welcomed Liam Haskett back into the attack with a six and a four before plundering 15 runs in another big over from Bartlett. With the skipper going to part-timer Matt Renshaw to cut the flow of runs, Konstas and Gilkes tried cashing in with two boundaries to bring up the 100-run mark at the halfway stage. In the very next over, both batters completed their half-centuries, with Gilkes taking just 28 balls, while Konstas reached the milestone in 38 deliveries. The young Australian opener hit two more boundaries off Haskett before departing in the 14th over for a 45-ball 63, which included eight boundaries. The Thunder reaped rich in the power surge amassing 31 runs in the two overs between 14 and 16, with Gilkes finishing as their top run-getter hitting four fours and three sixes during his knock of 76 off 48 balls. Meanwhile, Sam Billings chipped in with an entertaining cameo of 25 in 11 balls to take the side close to 200. Jack Wildermuth was the pick among the Heat bowlers with a spell of 2/25 in four overs, while Matthew Kuhnemann and Shaheen Afridi picked up a wicket each.

In reply, Colin Munro started Heat’s chase on an aggressive note with two boundaries off Reece Topley but his opening partner Wildermuth struggled from the other end conceding a maiden to Nathan McAndrew. But the all-rounder made amends with two boundaries in the medium pacer’s next over as the score read 33/0 after the mandatory powerplay of four overs. However, leg spinner Shadab Khan rocked the chase sending back both openers, in the space of a ball, with well-deceived wrong ones in his very first over. That prompted captain David Warner to introduce spin from the other end as well with Chris Green coming in to bowl the next. But new batter Renshaw decided to take them on with three fours off Shadab before following it up with a huge six off Green. He added 70 runs in 47 balls for the third wicket with Hugh Weibgen as the side went past the 100-run mark in the 12th over. But both set batters departed in quick succession, against the run of play, to put the Heat on the backfoot. Shadab was the partnership breaker yet again castling Renshaw to end his 28-ball stay after the southpaw hit four fours and a six during his knock of 43, while Daniel Sams took Weibgen (30) out in the 15th over. Though Max Bryant tried to take the side closer with his 18-ball 25, they finished at a distant 159/6 at the end of 20 overs. For Thunder, Shadab ended with impressive figures of 4/24 in four overs, while Sams ended with two wickets.

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