The Sydney Thunder have again struggled to post a threatening total, setting the Brisbane Heat a Big Bash target of just 127 at ANZ Stadium on Friday as Dan Christian grabbed five wickets.
With a revamped batting line-up boosted by the inclusion of import Matt Prior the Thunder won the toss and jumped at the chance to set a total as they chase their first victory of the season.
It appeared a decision they instantly regretted, as James Hopes, Kemar Roach and Ben Cutting tied them down and Australian allrounder Dan Christian cashed in with 5-26 as the Thunder were all out for 126.
Christian now has the second best figures of the summer, trailing only Lasith Malinga’s exceptional 6-7 against Perth.
After seven overs the Thunder had crawled to just 1-30.
The pace picked up, but the fall of regular wickets cruelled the home side.
Even the free-hitting Chris Gayle, despite top-scoring, failed to reach any great heights – scoring 28 at a run a ball, a relatively pedestrian rate for the man proclaimed as the best Twenty20 batsman in the world.
“The ball was doing a bit, Roachy was nipping it about,” Gayle said.
“They bowled well, you’ve got to give them credit for that.”
Gayle did manage to clear the fence on two occasions, having hit just one in his first three games of the tournament.
Gayle put on 35 with fellow import Matt Prior (17) in the most productive partnership of the innings before both were dismissed in Christian’s first over, while Usman Khawaja added 23 in the dying overs before being run out.