Transcript of media conference with captains David Warner (Sydney Thunder) and Nathan Ellis (Hobart Hurricanes), Hobart, 26 January 2025. The teams face off on Monday night in the Big Bash League Final at Bellerive Oval.
Journalist – unidentified
Does it feel a bit more real now you’re standing next to the trophy?
Nathan Ellis
A little bit. Yeah. I mean, it’s been a good few days. We had a few days off, which was really timely, I think, but it’s also given us the chance to have a pretty good lead in, a relaxed lead in. And, yeah, I’m pretty excited now, as you said, it’s starting to sink in that it’s tomorrow, pretty excited about the opportunity to play in front of a sold out home crowd.
Journalist – unidentified
You spoke about the time off coming at a great time. How do you sort of not get too relaxed in that situation? And these guys are coming off a good win on Friday night.
Nathan Ellis
I mean, there’s probably no perfect recipe. Ours was definitely get away for two days, we had two days completely tools down. And we’ve had a three day lead in which was comprised of two optional sessions and a main session. So it’s pretty simple stuff, it’s nothing too crazy. There’s no recipe to lead into a final, but we’ve had the best opportunity to play at our best tomorrow night. So fingers crossed we can do that.
Journalist – unidentified
You said it was too far away to talk about the starting 11 the other day. Can you give us any hints of what it might be tomorrow night?
Nathan Ellis
No, I think we’ll assess the wicket tomorrow is it was still under covers today, and I’ve obviously come in here, so we’ll have a meeting tonight. We’ll probably name the 11 tomorrow, I think. I mean, the guys who are in the mix all know and are prepared to play. So, yeah, the 11 will come tomorrow.
Journalist – unidentified
The other night was a bit slower surface that what we’ve seen down here previously this year. Are you expecting something back to that for the final or something similar to last week.
Nathan Ellis
Definitely it’s been a dry sort of square this year, and I think you’ve seen the differences in the day and night games. I think the night games are still holding true to the average scores down here at Bellerive, so I’m expecting a reasonably high scoring game again tomorrow night.
Journalist – unidentified
The success you’ve been able to have in the power play with Mitch and then power surge with Tim this year, was that a focus leading into the season, to try and dominate those overs?
Nathan Ellis
It wasn’t something we spoke about specifically. I mean, anytime you’re in the power play and the surge, you’re going to try and do the best you can. But I think our our conversations are all around being in the best positions to execute our skills and and Mitch’s skill is a pretty obvious at the top, and Tim’s skill at the back end is pretty obvious. So our whole game plan is to try and set them up to be at the best or give them the best platform to execute their skill at the time. And fortunately they’ve done that a few times this season.
Journalist – unidentified
Are you expecting to face 12 overs of spin tomorrow from Thunder and sort of what’s the process to go combating that?
Nathan Ellis
Definitely. I think they’ve gone pretty spin heavy for the last few games. We will be preparing for that. They’ve got a quite good spin bowling lineup, and I think Tanveer Sangha coming back has really strengthened that. So we’re prepared for that. There will be a short and a longer side, so we’re prepared to target potentially one side, but, yeah, I won’t give too many hints away.
Journalist – unidentified
What will it mean for the team if you win the title tomorrow?
Nathan Ellis
It’s obviously exciting. These are the these are the games as a professional cricketer we want to play in. You’re definitely trying to temper expectations at the moment and treat it as if it’s any other game, as I the cliche says. But these are the games, the big games you want to be a part of. And to have the opportunity to play a home final is is really good. And we’re well aware how big it is for Tasmanian cricket. Obviously the goal is to is to win, and that’ll be huge, to be the first ones to bring it home. But again, I’m a realist, and I know what T20 cricket is. We just need to have a good day, and hopefully it’ll fall our way injured this year.
Journalist – unidentified
At Ninja you’re undefeated this year. Is there something particular about the ground that suits you guys?
Nathan Ellis
Yeah, well, I think our bowling attack has really dovetailed well together this year. You’ve obviously got the x-factor in Riley, and we had Billy for majority of the season this year, but then we’ve had myself and CJ being able to defend and restrict, and you pair that with Waqar Salamkheil and Peter Hatzoglu through the middle. I think it’s just we’ve been able to adapt really quickly, and we sort of accommodate each other’s skills. And I think the quicker you are to adapt on different wickets, the better off you’re going to be. And I think that’s something we’ve done really, really well this season.
Tasmanian Times
I know as cricketer you’re always looking to improve. So what can you improve on your own personal performance?
Nathan Ellis
Personally? Well, for me, I’m going to keep trying to do the same things I have all season, and that’s being ready to bowl in any phase of the game, any facet of the game. There have been a lot of games that have run pretty similar. We won a lot of the tosses at home this year, which meant we bowled first – last game we didn’t – and we adapted really, really well to that. So for me, it’s going to be in any given situation, adapt as quick as I can, and then give myself and the team the best, best platform to win the game. But there isn’t anything individually I’m too worried about. It’s going to be whatever’s best for the team on the day.
Journalist – unidentified
Who you worries you most from their lineup?
David Warner
Dave Warner!
Nathan Ellis
He’s probably answered it for me. He’s obviously, you know, the head of the snake as they say. We’ll be trying to get him early. It’s no secret he’s a big inclusion for them. But I think it’s something they’ve done really, really well this year is scrap. They’ve had a lot of injuries and people coming in and out with illness and the like. So, yeah, they’ve scrapped really, really well. We know that. You know, whether we do or don’t get David out early, that they’re a team that’s willing to scrap and keep themselves in the game. There will be no, you know, taking the foot off the gas if we do get Davy.
Journalist – unidentified
Dave, when you look at a BBL title, what would it sort of mean, in comparison to, you know, Ashes wins, World Cups, IPL wins, where does the BBL sit amongst all of that?
David Warner
I think first and foremost, for the Sydney Thunder and the Thunder fans, it’ll be unbelievable. Haven’t won since 2016 so it’ll mean a lot to the fans and the guys in that change room, and the background staff. And for me personally, it’s just going out there and playing another game of cricket. You know, we reflect on winning tournaments and World Cups and all that, probably when you finish completely, I think you sit down, have a beer with your mates and you talk about that. Obviously be nice to have that in the cabinet as well. But most importantly, it’s about the group of guys that are there, the staff and all the fans at home.
Journalist – unidentified
How much focus has gone into, I guess, since you, since you won on Friday into combating Tim David and Mitch Owen in those power play overs?
David Warner
We haven’t really sat down and spoke about it. I think you know, for us, it’s about going out there and trying to execute our skill. And if we, you know, bat well and bowl well enough, you know, hopefully we can come up trumps. I think if you dwell on certain players for too long, you can cloud your mind and your judgement And so the boys go out there with a clear focus, and that’s just purely executing their best deliveries.
Journalist – unidentified
You batted here a couple of weeks ago; what did you take out of that last game you played at Ninja Stadium?
David Warner
I think, quite clearly, if you, if you lose the toss and you bat first, you’ve just got to be positive and try and post a really competitive total. It’s always important the first sort of six, seven overs to take wickets, because then it’s, you know, skids on a little bit nicer, the outfield sort of skids on as well and it’s hard to defend. So hopefully, with the hot weather tomorrow there’s not too much dew or anything forecasted. Now, I haven’t seen the wicket, I don’t know if we’re playing the same one – are we Ellie? – but if we are, it looked a little bit on the slower side this time. So yeah, we just have to assess conditions.
Journalist – unidentified
What do you make of the Hurricanes’ season as a whole? They’ve been pretty good at home, as we just said.
David Warner
I think they’ve been fantastic and quite clearly led very well by Nathan. I’m just proud of both teams to come together and play obviously their final and potentially their first Big Bash title as well, in front of, you know, the home crowd. With the potential stadium that’s going to get built here be it’ll be a nice sign off for them, but hopefully we can come here and spoil the party for the Hobart fans,
Journalist – unidentified
How do you go about combating that crowd? I guess last two games have been in Sydney, the two finals, then you come down here and it’ll be mostly purple in the crowd.
David Warner
Look, we’ve just got to embrace it. It’s pretty much every time you come down here, it’s quite difficult for people to travel down to Hobart to watch. For us, it’s about entertaining and, you know, putting our best performance forward, and hopefully, if we come up trumps, then we can hold this bad boy tomorrow night.
Tasmanian Times
You’ve probably played here a few times over your career. Do you have a favourite memory of playing cricket in Hobart?
David Warner
Yeah, Test match cricket, to be fair. For me, the battles of the wicket, it’s always a challenge. But, you know, I find playing four day cricket down here awesome, and five day cricket. And obviously I played a handful of white ball games as well, but I always know it’s a nice wicket, and they’re going to get a nice crowd, which is great.
Journalist – unidentified
Ollie Davies was a late out the other night. Is he available for the final?
David Warner
Yeah, he’ll be amongst the the 12, and we’re going to have that decision to make when we come to training today.
