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Twelve months ago, the Sydney Thunder were the laughing stock of the Big Bash League. Watch every game of the BBL Finals LIVE and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1.
Limited time offer > Having mustered one victory in six weeks – an off-Broadway triumph over the Melbourne Stars in Albury – the men in lime green ended the 2023/24 campaign with the dreaded wooden spoon in their back pocket, marking the first time in more than a decade that a Big Bash club had failed to win multiple matches in a season. It was also the fifth time the Thunder had finished last on the BBL ladder – comfortably more often than any other team – while the club’s title drought had extended to nine years. However, after navigating multiple injury setbacks and weather disruptions, the Thunder are preparing for a home final against the Melbourne Stars having launched themselves up to third place.
If the Thunder win Wednesday’s (7.30pm AEDT) Knockout at Sydney Olympic Park, they will face cross-town rivals the Sydney Sixers at the SCG on Friday for the chance to qualify for their first Big Bash final — and a shot at incredible redemption. READ MORE ‘CANE TRAIN BOUND FOR DECIDER! Seven-year first as Hobart books home BBL final with slick display ‘CATCH OF THE SUMMER’: ‘Sight to behold’ as Sixers star’s snare stuns ‘everyone around the world’ 152KM/HR! Hurricanes speedster’s ‘raw pace’ reaches scary ‘new level’ in ‘electric over’ UNPRECEDENTED TRADE AND MASSIVE SNUB IN BUSY OFF-SEASON After the Thunder finished bottom of the BBL ladder last summer, Cricket NSW appointed former Blues bowler Trent Copeland as the club’s General Manager in February 2024, replacing Chris Botherway in the role.
Copeland identified a lack of balance in the squad and declared the Thunder would no longer play “second fiddle” to the Sixers, one of the competition’s powerhouses. While the western Sydney club would remain a community-focused club with a diverse and dedicated fanbase, the club’s new-found mantra was to become title contenders that dominated at home. “The bar has been set at winning the tournament,” Copeland told Fox Cricket.
“If we don’t, we’ll have a very, very hard look at why and try and make sure we do next year.” Copeland wanted to manufacture a squad that could defeat any team in any condition, so he immediately set about bolstering the playing roster by poaching Sam Billings from the Brisbane Heat, signing the English wicketkeeper on a three-year contract during the off-season. Having lost seamer Gurinder Sandhu to the Melbourne Renegades, the Thunder snapped up quick Wes Agar in an unprecedented draft pick exchange with the Adelaide Strikers.
A few months later, the Sydney-based franchise secured the services of West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford and Black Caps speedster Lockie Ferguson at the overseas player draft while ignoring England opener Alex Hales, the Thunder’s leading run-scorer in BBL history. The controversial decision to snub Hales, a T20 World Cup champion, came down to “four or five” reasons according to Copeland, including leadership qualities and a desire for middle-order firepower. CAPTAINCY UNLOCKED ‘BEST VERSION’ OF WARNER The Thunder’s most publicised off-season move was helping David Warner overturn Cricket Australia’s leadership ban, paving the way for the former Test opener to lead the western Sydney club.
Warner was handed a lifetime captaincy ban following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, blocking him from captaining Australia or any domestic teams. He attempted to get the ban overturned in late 2022, but withdrew following what was described as a “train wreck” appeal process. Two years later, Warner appeared before an independent three-member panel and successfully presented his case, with Copeland accompanying him to the hearing.
The following week, he was named Thunder captain for the 2024/25 season. Fans quickly identified Warner’s passion and competitiveness after taking on the role, accompanied by a tactical prowess attained from 15 years on the T20 circuit, while he received support from former Thunder captain Chris Green and Billings. “He’s the most active on all of our WhatsApp groups – whether that’s a good thing or maybe not so good thing depends on the gifs that float out of his phone,” Copeland laughed.
“The level of care, time and energy he’s putting in ...
I think everyone’s just been really impressed, and long may it continue.” Captaincy unlocked the “best version” of Warner, with the left-hander finishing the group stage as the competition’s second-leading run-scorer with 346 runs at 57.66.
Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss cited Warner as the key difference in the dressing room compared to last season’s disaster, while Billings confessed his perception of the Australian had changed drastically over the past five weeks. “You see why he’s one of the best players in the world, still at the age of 38, I’m learning off him every day,” Billings told reporters this week. “It’s impossible not to learn off him from a cricketing point of view.
He’s been brilliant.” ‘PRETTY WILD’: KONSTAS’ RECORD-BREAKING DEBUT Copeland’s other marquee signing during the off-season was Sam Konstas, with the batting prodigy committing to the Thunder for two years. When the teenager was signed in June last year, he hadn’t played any List A or T20 cricket, while he only had one first-class fifty under his belt.
But by early December, he had become a household name off the back of twin hundreds in the Sheffield Shield and a dazzling century against India in the Prime Minister’s XI match. And the young right-hander’s purple patch continued in the Big Bash, smashing a 20-ball fifty on debut against the Adelaide Strikers at Manuka Oval, the fastest half-century in Thunder history. Later that week, he was parachuted into the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test.
“That’s what we’re here for ultimately right? We want to win the tournament, but we also want to produce that next crop of Australian players,” Copeland said. “That’s the goal here right. Winning culture, win tournaments, learn how to play together and then take that through and play for Australia.
” Konstas’ Boxing Day fireworks and on-field antics dominated headlines during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but nobody was more surprised by the 19-year-old’s ramping and scooping than Copeland. “Had you asked me 12 months ago what his biggest (weakness) was, it was definitely white-ball cricket,” Copeland said. “He had the foundation and the temperament and the hunger for runs already down, but it’s pretty wild to see the progression in that in the last six months.
” ASPIRING FINANCIAL GURU’S SIGNING AN ‘UNREAL’ SUCCESS The Thunder’s season got off to a flying start with four wins in five matches, while their lone defeat was a final-ball thriller against the Sixers in Homebush. However, the men in lime green were suddenly scrambling for reinforcements after a flurry of injury setbacks – batter Nic Maddinson sustained a season-ending finger injury, leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha picked up a side strain, former captain Jason Sangha suffered a calf complaint, while seamers William Salzmann and Nathan McAndrew also found themselves in the casualty ward. In December, Copeland picked up the phone and called Tom Andrews, who at the time was working as a financial planner in the Adelaide CBD.
Having not been offered a Big Bash contract ahead of the 2024/25 season, Andrews had shifted his focus towards becoming a finance guru. Believing his professional career was over, he played grade cricket for Port Adelaide and joined the Strikers’ academy team for a pre-tournament tour of Sydney that featured warm-up matches against the Sixers and Thunder – which is where he caught Copeland’s attention. Andrews needed to request a couple of weeks off from work before signing on as a replacement player, and since making his Thunder debut in late December, he’s been one of the club’s most reliable performers.
The 30-year-old spinner has conceded just 6.90 runs per over across seven matches, while he blasted an unbeaten 37 from 13 balls in a thumping victory over the Perth Scorchers at Sydney Olympic Park. “It honestly could not have worked out any better,” Copeland said of Andrews’ signing.
“Not only did he replace Tanveer for those few games really well, but found himself entrenched in the line-up and embarking on finals. “It’s been a bloody huge success. It’s been unreal.
” ‘COULDN’T SCRIPT WHAT HAPPENED’: HEAD COLLISION SPARKS PERTH CHAOS January 3rd proved a turning point in the Thunder’s season. Facing the Scorchers at Perth Stadium, opener Cameron Bancroft and all-rounder Daniel Sams collided while attempting to catch a chance off Cooper Connolly near the ring, with both players sustaining concussions and rushed to hospital. Bancroft broke his shoulder and nose during the sickening collision, prematurely ending his campaign, while Sams was ruled out of the remainder of the Big Bash after completing a mandatory 12-day concussion stand-down.
The immediate aftermath of the horrific collision was utter chaos for the Thunder’s management. Across on the east coast, Copeland was answering phone calls until 4am, contacting hospitals and organising injury replacements, while Warner was tasked with rallying his shaken teammates. But the club’s first challenge was getting eleven players on the park.
Ollie Davies, who had missed selection due to illness, was rushed from the team hotel to Perth Stadium so he could serve as a concussion substitute for the run chase, while uncapped teenager Hugh Weibgen was also thrown into the starting XI. Needing 21 runs from the last seven deliveries, Weibgen clobbered a six over mid-wicket before Rutherford struck a trio of boundaries during the final over to seal an emotional victory for the Thunder. “That was probably as proud as I’ve been from my vantage point of how we carry ourselves as a club,” Copeland said.
“It’s tough to win in Perth regardless of anything going wrong, let alone with all that. “It was one of those nights where you just really couldn’t script what happened.” 41-YEAR-OLD COACH ANSWERS SOS CALL Ahead of the tournament, Copeland had formulated plans for replacing each member of the Thunder squad if they went down, but the manager hadn’t prepared for the number of casualties that were thrown his direction.
Following the season-ending injuries to Sams and Bancroft, the Thunder were once again searching for reinforcements – and assistant coach Daniel Christian emerged as the surprise solution. The 41-year-old had not played a professional match since February 2023, but following a successful stint in last year’s Hong Kong International Sixes tournament, he floated the possibility of coming out of retirement. The Thunder encouraged him to continue playing grade cricket and prepare for a Big Bash return when the opportunity presented itself – and the Perth incident paved the way for his unexpected call-up.
“He was certainly ready and was almost bursting out of his coaching shirt to put on his (playing kit),” Copeland recalled. “For all the lovers of the Big Bash and the traditionalists that have known him to just win tournaments everywhere he goes, it was a nice little piece of nostalgia.” Konstas was still in diapers when Christian made his professional debut in 2006, but the veteran repaid the club’s faith with an all-round masterclass on debut against the Brisbane Heat, cracking an unbeaten 23 from 15 balls and taking a wicket at the Gabba.
Having rediscovered his love for cricket, Christian has confirmed he’s eager to continue playing the game, declaring he’s open to offers from overseas T20 leagues. ‘BLOODY DANGEROUS’ STARS THE FIRST FINALS HURDLE Friday evening’s highly-anticipated Sydney derby at the SCG ended as a washout, denying the Thunder an opportunity to push for a top-two spot. Having subsequently finished third on the standings, the Thunder need three consecutive wins against the Stars, Sixers and Hurricanes to lift the coveted trophy for a second time.
It’s a tall order. “Friday night was a real shame,” Copeland said. “Disappointed that we didn’t have that crack to get second, but there was a full tournament where we had that opportunity as well.
” The in-form Stars, who are undefeated in 2025 with five straight wins, loom as a “bloody dangerous” outfit ahead of Wednesday’s Knockout, which gets underway at 7.30pm AEDT, but Warner warned the Thunder’s best was still to come. “We still haven’t played a complete game yet, which for me is scary,” Warner said this week.
“Last year, there was just no real standout for us. We weren’t great at all with the bat. This year, those individuals are winning games for us, but we need more partnerships.
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