Daniel Sams and Muhammad Hasnain star as Sydney Thunder thrash Melbourne Renegades

Sams and Alex Hales provided the fireworks with the bat to post a mammoth 209 for 7 before Renegades crumbled in the face of an intimidating chase, finding themselves bowled out for just 80 to lose by 129 runs

Docklands: Sydney Thunder 207-9, Melbourne Renegades 80 - Sydney Thunder won by 129 runs

Sydney Thunder slapped Melbourne Renegades aside on the way to third biggest runs victory in Big Bash history.

Daniel Sams and Alex Hales provided the fireworks with the bat to post a mammoth 209 for 7 before Renegades crumbled in the face of an intimidating chase, finding themselves bowled out for just 80 to lose by 129 runs.

Sams was the star of the show, smashing a career-best, unbeaten 98 from 44 balls. Needing a six off the final ball of the first innings for his first hundred in any format, he could only manage a four.

He received excellent support from Hales, whose 28-ball 63 was his best return of the campaign, and Thunder plundered the Renegades attack for all they could find.

^{Muhammad Hasnain claimed three wickets for Sydney Thunder (Mike Owen/Getty Images)}

Sams clattered eight sixes and seven fours during his ballistic innings, having been elevated to No.4 after Sam Billings left the Thunder camp to join up with England at the SCG.

In response, Renegades fell apart against Pakistani seamer Muhammad Hasnain.

Hasnain, returning to the Thunder XI, claimed 3 for 22 in 3.2 overs, leaving him with six wickets in two appearances for his new side, while there were two scalps apiece for Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha.

Sandhu contributed figures of 2 for 8 in three overs, while Sangha was also miserly - shipping just 14 runs in his three overs.

Only three Renegades batsmen reached double figures, while their paltry total took 14.2 overs to put together. Absent captain Chris Green, isolating after coming into contact with a Covid case, was barely missed.

Thunder are now hot on the heels of league leaders Perth Scorchers, sitting just two points behind in the standings.

For Renegades, slim hopes of reaching the knockout rounds are fading fast.

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