Chris Gayle may be the most destructive batsman in Twenty20 cricket, but he doesn’t scare Brett Lee.
Sydney will be bracing for a showdown between one of the world’s fastest bowlers and the Calypso cool of Gayle today at ANZ Stadium.
Gayle has been a one-man wrecking crew this summer, scoring 228 of the Thunder’s 428 runs in their past three matches.
And Lee knows if he can knock over Gayle early, the Sixers will be on course to claim Sydney bragging rights in our first T20 local derby.
Lee, 35, said he and the Sixers have very clear plans to bring down the former West Indian captain, who has hit an unbelievable 16 sixes in two matches at ANZ Stadium in the Big Bash.
The short straight boundary at ANZ Stadium plays into Gayle’s favour, so the Melbourne Renegades targeted him with short balls to eventually get him out caught in the deep in his last home game. You would expect Lee to try to shorten him up as well today, adding to the fireworks.
Lee, who will shoulder the fast-bowling load in the absence of Josh Hazlewood and will try to cramp Gayle by sending his thunderbolts tight to his body.
“He’s obviously a world-class player, and when you combine that with the laid-back attitude he has, he is a pretty carefree player and his attitude suits T20 cricket,” Lee said.
“It’s a pretty good combination. But we, the Sydney Sixers, have some serious plans for him. I’ve played against Chris Gayle a number of times and we’ve picked up a few things, so hopefully we can put them into place.”
Lee was reluctant to reveal details of his plan, but the blond tearaway taking on the belligerent West Indian is a mouth-watering contest in what should be one of the highlights of the summer.
“With any batsman in T20 cricket, the general rule is no width – it will most certainly apply to a guy like Chris Gayle,” Lee said.
The match will decide which of the Sydney teams is likely to make the top four, adding extra spice to a game expected to attract 30,000 fans.
Gayle, reportedly earning $270,000 for his stint with the Thunder, has lit up the tournament with his six-hitting exploits, including one blast in Hobart that went 108m.
“When you are playing against world-class cricketers – against Sachin Tendulkar, or Brian Lara or Jacques Kallis – you always want to see where you are at and test your skills,” Lee said. “I’ve always enjoyed the challenge.”
With Starc called up for national duty, the pressure is on Lee to strike with the new ball, but the Sixers also have veteran leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and all-rounder Steve Smith as part of an impressive bowling line-up.
Starc, who will head to Perth tomorrow with the Test squad, said the Sixers’ preparation for the Sydney blockbuster had been comprehensive, with much of the planning centred on how to curb Gayle in the opening six overs when the field is up.
“I am sure we will try to take Gayle down cheaply and then get stuck into the rest of the Thunder team,” Starc said.
He said the Sixers were looking positively towards grabbing a top-four spot as the Big Bash reaches the business end of the tournament.
“There has been a great feeling within the group from day one,” Starc said. “It’s a pretty relaxed, friendly environment and everyone is getting on well. It’s great to have a change of scenery from the NSW domestic scene and moving into this.”
Starc said the side is also hoping for another bumper crowd at ANZ Stadium.
The Sixers attracted a crowd of 28,000 at the SCG when Shane Warne and the Melbourne Stars came to town.
“I hope there is a good crowd for the local derby,” he said. “We had 28,000 at the SCG the other night. Hopefully we can get that number out at ANZ and a Sixers win on the board as well.”
