Thunder captain David Warner said on Sunday middle-order batter Ollie Davies would be in their squad of 12 for Monday's decider in Hobart after a thigh injury kept him out of Friday's win over cross-town rivals the Sixers.
Explosive opener Warner, the leading run-scorer in the competition, will be a clear target for the Canes, having amassed 357 runs this season at an average of 44 with a strike rate of 140 and three half-centuries.
Sydney Thunder captain David Warner is the leading run-scorer in the BBL this season. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)
"He (Warner) is the head of the snake as they say. We'll be trying to get him early, and it's no secret he's a big inclusion for them," Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis said on Sunday ahead of the final at Ninja Stadium.
"Whether we do or don't get David out early, they are a team that's willing to scrap and keep themselves in the game, so there will be no taking the foot off the gas if we do get Davey.
"I think the night games are still holding true to the average score here, so I'm expecting a reasonably high-scoring game."
A key factor for table-topping Hobart will be taming the Thunder spinners, three of whom feature among the competition's top 10 most economical bowlers.
Leggie Tanveer Sangha (6.45 runs per over, second), left-arm finger-spinner Tom Andrews (6.92, seventh) and offspinner Chris Green (7.05, ninth) have proven hard to get away.
"They've gone pretty spin-heavy for the last few games, we'll be prepping for that," Ellis said.
Hobart Hurricanes skipper Nathan Ellis is expecting a high-scoring game in the BBL decider. (Linda Higginson/AAP PHOTOS)
"They've got a quite good spin-bowling line-up. I think Tanveer Sangha coming back has really strengthened that.
"There will be a short and a longer side, so we'll prepare to target potentially one side."
Both teams will include two of the top 10 run-scorers this season.
The Thunder have Warner at the top, and their middle-order linchpin is English wicketkeeper Sam Billings, who has made 251 runs at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 132.
Hobart's big boppers are top-order batter Mitch Owen (344 at 38, strike rate of 191) and renowned middle-order slugger Tim David (254 at 42, strike rate of 177).
Big-hitting Mitch Owen has been a revelation for the Hurricanes at the top of the order. (Linda Higginson/AAP PHOTOS)
Warner suggested the Thunder wouldn't focus too much on Owen and David, despite their success and impact.
"If you dwell on certain players for too long it can cloud your mind and then your judgment," Warner said.
Hobart have won all six of their home games this season, including a six-wicket victory over the Thunder.
The Thunder are appearing in their second final after winning in 2015-16, while the Hurricanes have made the season decider for the third time, losing away from home in their two previous attempts.
The Hurricanes haven't played since last Tuesday, whereas the Thunder had to win two games in Sydney since then to make the season decider.
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