Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Thunder Nation – Sydney Thunder’s territory – is set to expand beyond western Sydney and Canberra this summer with the team set to play a match in the Riverina city of Albury during their KFC BBL|12 campaign.
Thunder and the Hobart Hurricanes will ignite the New Year’s fireworks at Albury’s Lavington Sports Ground, with the match slated to be played there on December 31.
The team laid the foundations for the match with the two Border Bash matches it played at Albury in 2016 and 2017, games which attracted huge crowds.
Thunder will also make a welcome return to its heartland – at Sydney Showground Stadium – with four top shelf matches locked in at the venue, including the January 8 Sydney Smash against arch rivals Sydney Sixers.
On January 13 the men in green will host defending champions Perth Scorchers at the Showground. History notes the Trevor Bayliss-coached Thunder were the only team to defeat the eventual BBL|11 champions twice in the regular season.
Besides playing its groundbreaking match in Albury, Thunder will also play two matches at Manuka Oval in Canberra, the Club’s second home.
Head of Thunder, Andrew Gilchrist, said the KFC BBL|12 draw allowed Thunder fans throughout the state plenty of opportunities to get behind their team.
“We’re excited to be expanding Thunder Nation to a new community that has shown strong support for the Club over the years,” said Gilchrist.
“We have a history of playing trial matches in Albury – the Border Bash – and, as a club, Sydney Thunder is excited to take our team, fans, and sponsors to this community.
“Our loyal supporter base in Sydney has plenty of opportunities to watch the team play. We value the strong support we receive from western Sydney, and this summer our fans will see some tremendous matches in time friendly slots.
“We’re also looking forward to returning for our two matches at Manuka Oval. Canberra has also provided Thunder with great support.
“We’ve played down there for a number of years. We love travelling to Canberra, and Canberra love having us. The facilities are first-class, something everyone saw when Canberra pretty much hosted an entire BBL season there a few years ago.”
The KFC BBL|12 Finals series will take place following the conclusion of the regular season, with dates and details of each match to be confirmed.
The full BBL fixture will be announced tomorrow, with tickets for this summer’s Thunder WBBL and BBL matches on-sale to the public at 2pm, August 18 (AEST).
Thunder BBL Memberships available soon. Be the first in line by registering your interest here.
Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
