Winner: Sydney Thunder
Two weeks in a row in the winners column, the Sydney Thunder are the only remaining undefeated side in the comp, and are heavy favourites to take out the fifth installment of the Big Bash League.
Next match they take on the Hobart Hurricanes (2-1) in Hobart on New Year's Day, which will no doubt be their toughest assignment so far.
Loser: Brisbane Heat
Despite a competition-leading knock from their captain on Tuesday night, the Brisbane Heat remained the only winless outfit in the Big Bash, with no wins from four starts.
The assignment only gets tougher, with a match against the currently league-leading Sydney Thunder on January 3.
Winner: Andre Russell
Andre Russell's stocks are all of a sudden through the roof, after a captivating performance against Adelaide in which he took two wickets and hit 17 runs off just seven balls including two monster sixes.
The West Indies would love nothing more than to have their 6’1” powerhouse all-rounder suiting up in his whites to take on Australia. But unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Loser: Moises Henriques
In the Sydney Sixers’ last match against the Melbourne Stars, Moises Henriques aggravated a calf injury he sustained in November, forcing him to retire hurt.
It looks like the Sixers’ skipper may miss the rest of the tournament, in a big blow for not only the club, but also Henriques’ world T20 hopes.
Loser: The West Indies
Despite an improved effort on the field in the Boxing Day Test, the West Indies Cricket Association hardly needed reminding of the players they were missing out on.
But this BBL has been a harsh reminder of the best XI they could be fielding if not for a slew of bureaucratic off-field problems.
Yes, not all T20 players transfer seamlessly over to Test cricket, but seeing players such as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell pull on Test whites would be a fantastic site for fans of the conglomerate Test nation.
Winner: Cricket Australia
With a crowd of over 29,000 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on Tuesday night, it’s hard not to put forth Cricket Australia as the overall off-field winners of the tournament.
At a time where football is trying to wrestle away the balance of summer sporting power from cricket, the emergence of the Big Bash League as a crowd favourite has been able to keep cricket well on top in the ratings column.
