Bancroft leads Sydney Thunder to 7-200 against Strikers

But the evening was not all good for the visitors with Daniel Sams suffering a suspected hip flexor injury.

While the Thunder are well placed at the halfway stage, it is uncertain  whether Sams will be available to bowl after the allrounder injured himself during his brief batting stint.

Sams drove Wes Agar to mid-on with the first delivery he faced and sprinted through for a risky single before tumbling awkwardly and pulling up lame at the non-striker's end, grimacing and holding his right hip.

Sams received treatment in the middle before lasting only one more ball, slogging Jamie Overton to James Bazley.

His absence with the ball could hamper the Thunder's prospects of posting their first win of the summer.

English blaster Alex Hales (18) was bowled by Matt Short attempting his fourth successive boundary before Matt Gilkes (0) departed first ball during a frenetic powerplay.

No.3 Ollie Davies (32) fell to a superb catch from Short before Bancroft and Ross combined for an entertaining 82-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Ross, the primary aggressor, was castled by an Agar yorker before Bancroft raised his batting tempo expertly, aided by Nathan McAndrew's enterprising 22 off 10 balls at the death.

Big Englishman Jamie Overton impressed in his BBL debut, snaring 2-29 and taking a wonderful outfield catch to dismiss McAndrew in the 20th over.