• Match: Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, 16th Match, Big Bash League 2023-24
• Date and Time: December 27, 08:15 am GMT/ 01:45 pm IST / 06:15 pm local time
• Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

Brisbane Heat: Brisbane Heat has maintained a perfect record in the 2023-24 Big Bash League, winning all of their matches so far. Despite missing a couple of key players engaged in Test duty, they continue to field a formidable team. While this fixture won’t be an easy one, the Heat is expected to have enough strength to secure another victory.

Sydney Thunder: Sydney Thunder, having secured their first win with a 10-ball, 5-wicket victory on Saturday, faces a more challenging opponent in Brisbane Heat. The Heat is anticipated to be a tougher test compared to Melbourne Stars, and Thunder will need to deliver a top-notch performance to stay competitive at the Gabba.

Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro (Captain), Josh Brown, Jonny Pierson (Wicket-Keeper), Nathan McSweeney, Sam Billings, Paul Walter, Xavier Bartlett, Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann.

Sydney Thunder: Chris Green (Captain), Matthew Gilkes (Wicket-Keeper), Alex Hales, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Sangha, Oliver Davies, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Zaman Khan, Tanveer Sangha.

Following their recent victory over Melbourne Stars in Albury, Sydney Thunder is expected to arrive in Queensland with improved confidence for this upcoming game. However, facing an unbeaten Brisbane Heat raises questions about whether Thunder has enough talent across their team. Brisbane Heat, with the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Alex Hales, and Daniel Sams in good form, is anticipated to deliver another strong performance in front of their home crowd. Our prediction favors Brisbane Heat to secure their fourth win of the campaign against Sydney Thunder.

Despite Melbourne Stars’ decision to field first and face a 103-run defeat in Match 1 at the Gabba earlier this month, our prediction suggests that both captains might opt to field first if they win the toss in the upcoming game.

The pitch offers ample pace and bounce, making a score approaching 200 a par total. Alongside the pace, spinners are expected to find purchase, indicating that the pitch will offer turn for them as well.

Humidity levels are expected to be high in Brisbane during this game, with forecasts predicting thunderstorms before the match. However, conditions are anticipated to be dry during Wednesday evening, providing a favorable outlook for the game itself.

• Stadium: The Gabba
• City: Brisbane
• Capacity: 42000
• Ends: Stanley Street End, Vulture Street End
• Hosts to: Queensland, Brisbane Heat