![Thunder young gun Oliver Davies hit five sixes in a row to set up a big win over the Renegades. Picture: Getty Images Thunder young gun Oliver Davies hit five sixes in a row to set up a big win over the Renegades. Picture: Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/937f525c-160b-4a74-8a7f-e1241f05496b.jpg/r0_0_2220_1480_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Oliver Davies must be thinking how easy is this BBL caper.
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After his stunning Sydney Thunder debut on Tuesday, the 20-year-old smashed five sixes in a row only to fall narrowly short of his half century.
His 48 (off 23 balls) helped set up a comfortable 129-run win over the Melbourne Renegades at Manuka Oval on Boxing Day.
First Davies unleashed the fury on Mohammad Nabi, launching him over the fence four times before giving Will Sutherland a taste of it in the next over with another.
Sutherland briefly got the last laugh, his one-two punch - a bouncer that went for six, followed by a yorker - sending the Thunder youngster back to dugout.
It came off the back of his debut against the Perth Scorchers, where he hit 36 off 21 in the seven-wicket win.
Renegades paceman Kane Richardson said it was tough coming against batsmen who you didn't know a lot about.
It was the Renegades' third loss in a row and he said they would all have to go away and work hard so that they could step up to be matchwinners - just as Davies had done.
"It's hard to get a read on [Davies]. It's his second game and he's smacked it both times," Richardson said.
"He's come from under-19s and club cricket and it's hard to compare those, but he's obviously done well throughout so it was impressive tonight.
"He obviously has a great eye. I'm not sure Nabi knew much about him. It's the beauty of youth.
"No doubt the more [he] plays other teams will see him and work him out and come up with different strategies, but at the moment he's running hot.
"It's good to see some young blokes do really well."
A constant flow of runs helped the Thunder to their biggest ever BBL score - 8-209 - before a similarly constant stream of Renegades wickets kept them to just 80.
Sydney got off to a flying start, thanks to Usman Khawaja's quick-fire 34, which was matched by opening partner Alex Hales (35 off 21).
Hales put back-to-back ducks behind him with a massive six onto the top of the Bradman Stand.
It led to a ball change just 15 deliveries into the match.
The Thunder looked set for a massive score well over 200, but when Khawaja and Hales fell in consecutive overs it slowed the Sydney side up.
Although they did get to the double century in the end to break their previous highest score of 208 when fast bowler Nathan McAndrew smashed a six off the final ball of the Thunder innings.
He finished with 20 not out - off just five balls - while Daniel Sams (22 off 12) and Sydney captain Callum Ferguson (31 off 31) also chimed in.
McAndrew then picked up the wicket of Renegades opener Shaun Marsh off his first ball and thatwas the beginning of the end for the BBL battlers.
Rilee Rossouw (17 off 9) came out swinging, but Thunder spinner Chris Green got him caught on the fence, and captain Aaron Finch (20 off 17) was the only other batsman in red who offered any sort of resistance.
Tweaker Tanveer Sangha took 4-14 in the rout, including a juggled caught and bowled, while Green and Adam Milne both picked up two wickets.
Sangha's loving bowling at Manuka, this stint of games his first time playing there, and he felt it was an advantage for them to be based in the ACT.
"I definitely like Manuka Oval. It's pretty big straight so it allows me toss the ball up a bit more and bowl a bit straighter without having to worry about top edges going for six," he said.
"I've not really played before this so I've enjoyed playing at Manuka - great wicket, great outfield - but it may be a little bit of an advantage [for us], I'm not too sure, I just stick to my role."
The Thunder will complete their Canberra stint when they take on their nemesis Melbourne Stars at Manuka on Tuesday.
AT A GLANCE
SYDNEY THUNDER 8-209 (Oliver Davies 48, Alex Hales 35, Usman Khawaja 34, Kane Richardson 2-33) bt MELBOURNE RENEGADES 80 (Aaron Finch 20, Tanveer Sangha 4-14, Chris Green 2-7, Adam Milne 2-21)