Green's blazing cameo helps Thunder edge Renegades in rain-affected contest

Sydney Thunder finally had something to celebrate in an otherwise forgettable BBL campaign as Chris Green's blistering unbeaten 34 off 13 balls powered them to a dramatic four-wicket victory over Melbourne Renegades in a rain-affected thriller at Sydney Showground on Monday.

Chasing a revised target of 140 in 16 overs after a rain interruption, Thunder found themselves in dire straits at 95/6 in the 13th over before Green launched a stunning counterattack. The all-rounder smashed three consecutive sixes off Gurinder Sandhu in the 14th over, then followed it up with two boundaries off Will Sutherland to turn the match on its head. His pyrotechnics came at the perfect time, swinging momentum decisively in Thunder's favour with the equation becoming increasingly tight. Nic Maddinson played the perfect foil at the other end, contributing a crucial 30 off 17 balls as the pair added an unbroken 45-run partnership in just 18 deliveries.

Sam Billings earlier kept Thunder in the hunt with a well-compiled 33 off 27, while Sam Konstas provided early impetus, striking four boundaries in his 18 off 11 before Gurinder Sandhu's four-wicket haul threatened to derail the chase. The decisive moment arrived when Green took aim at Sandhu in the 14th over. With 38 needed off 18 balls, Green cleared his front leg and dispatched three enormous sixes in four balls, completely altering the complexion of the contest. The Renegades, who had looked firmly in control after regular wickets, suddenly found themselves scrambling as boundaries flowed freely.

Sandhu, despite his impressive figures of 4/42, will rue those crucial balls as the momentum shifted. Adam Zampa had earlier done his bit with 2/21, including the key wicket of David Willey, but Green's assault proved too hot to handle.

For Thunder, this victory provides a much-needed morale boost in what has been a dismal season, improving their record to 2-7. While playoff qualification remains mathematically impossible, the manner of this victory - snatched from the jaws of defeat - will give them confidence heading into their remaining fixtures.

The Renegades, meanwhile, suffered a crushing blow to their own finals aspirations. Sitting seventh on the points table with just three wins from eight matches, they needed this victory desperately. The loss of focus in the death overs will haunt them as they now face an uphill battle to secure a playoff berth.

Brief scores: Melbourne Renegades 170/8 in 20 overs (Hasan Khan 46, Josh Brown 35; Wes Agar 2-23) lost to Sydney Thunder 140/6 in 15.2 overs (Chris Green 34*; Gurinder Sandhu 4-42) by 4 wickets [DLS Method]