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Davies, Ferguson lead Thunder in BBL win

3 minute read

Youngster Oliver Davies hit 36 from 21 balls in his Big Bash debut as the Sydney Thunder beat the Perth Scorchers by seven wickets in Canberra.

MITCHELL MARSH of the Scorchers. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Young gun Oliver Davies announced himself on the big stage with a quickfire 36 to help Sydney Thunder to a seven-wicket BBL win over the Perth Scorchers.

In his Big Bash debut, Davies whacked 36 from 21 balls and hit three sixes as the Thunder chased down Perth's 5-152 with three balls to spare in Canberra.

Captain Callum Ferguson top scored with 61 from 53, while Usman Khawaja survived a caught behind shout that will again prompt calls for a review system.

But all the talk was about Davies after he swung the momentum of the chase.

The 20-year-old first made headlines two years ago when he hit 17 sixes, including six in one over, as part of a 115-ball 207 against Northern Territory in an under-19s carnival.

On Tuesday night he showed glimpses of that damaging hitting, first clearing the ropes when he hit Jason Behrendorff over mid-wicket for six.

He hooked the left-armer for six again later in the same over, before slog-sweeping Fawad Ahmed over cow corner.

Ahmed later claimed Davies's wicket when he beat him in flight and had him stumped, but by then the Thunder were well on their way to the win.

"It was awesome," Davies said.

"Once I got out there surprisingly I actually wasn't (nervous).

"After I got that first run I sort of freed up and just looked to hit the ball hard, apply my shot, so it was good fun.

"To get those two sixes away in the over put me in good stead for the next few runs."

Khawaja survived a caught behind when he edged an attempted cover drive off Andrew Tye through to Josh Inglis.

Umpire Simon Lightbody could be heard telling Tye he believed Khawaja's bat had hit the ground despite the bat being nowhere near the turf.

Khawaja was on 18 at the time and made just three more before being caught trying to hit Aaron Hardie through the legside.

But the incident will reignite calls for a proper review system, after Khawaja was on the wrong end of another poor call nine days ago in the Thunder's loss to Melbourne Stars.

Earlier, Mitch Marsh saved the Scorchers from capitulating, hitting an unbeaten 52 from 41 balls after Perth slumped to 3-36.

The result leaves the Scorchers without a win, with their batting having also let them down in their opening loss to the Melbourne Renegades.

Ben Cutting took 1-16 from three overs for the Thunder while New Zealander Adam Milne (0-17) bowled with plenty of speed from his four overs in his first BBL game.