So, that result brings some excitement to the points table too. The Thunder are now in fourth place, level on points with the Renegades but only behind on net run rate. That leaves the rest of the pack with some catching up to do with time starting to run out and a handful of games left as we head into the business end of the tournament. That's all from our coverage today then as I (Pratyush), sign off on behalf of my partner, Bidipto. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda to keep up with all the sporting action from around the glove. Buh bye for now!

Matthew Gilkes (Player of the Match): It is always nice to get a bit of luck going your way and better that I got to make the most of that. It is a great thing for me to open the batting with David Warner, his approach is really positive to any youngster to take note of. The idea for me was not to play a false stroke and keep up with the asking rate, while putting away the bad balls. Alex Ross was great to bat with too, and we gelled really well out there together. To get a fifty and the player of the match award here at the Manuka Oval, where I've had a lot of memories in my younger days, is really special. Hopefully, we keep going like this and pick up more important points. 

Sydney Thunder cruise to an 8-wicket win with 9 balls to spare

Matthew Gilkes - 74* (55) | Usman Qadir - 2/20
Will Sutherland - 42* (23) | Corey Rocchioccioli - 2/25

It's a comprehensive victory for the Sydney Thunder as they efforlessly coast home without breaking much of a sweat. It was the perfect game for them in moments, barring a few instances in both innings. After a dodgy start in the first innings, their bowlers did brilliantly to restrict the Renegades to 142. That could have been way lesser, if not for Will Sutherland's cameo at the backend of the first innings.

In reply, the Sydney Thunder got off to a cautious start with their two openers taking their time to set in. Warner ticked along decently but couldn't convert on his start, succumbing to Rocchioccioli. The debutant was on a hat-trick in that over, dismissing Warner and Davies to give his side a glimmer of hope.

However, the Renegades could never really make the most of that. They had the chance to dismiss Gilkes in the same over and would have got their man had Fawad held onto the regulation catch. With that opportunity gone, so were the hopes for Melbourne. Gilkes went on to score an unbeaten half-century and got enough support from Ross with the pair notching up a partnership to get their side over the line.

No other Renegades bowler threatened enough to be a consistent wicket-taking option. The dropped catch did prove to be a pivotal moment in the game and it went in favor of Sydney Thunder, who got over the line rather comfortably in the end.

18.3 Kane Richardson to Alex Ross, FOUR RUNS! AND THAT IS A GOOD WIN FOR SYDNEY THUNDER! Good length ball over off, Ross moves across and laps this past the left of the keeper and the right of fine-leg, to pick up the winning boundary! 

18.2 Kane Richardson to Matthew Gilkes, OH! Short and slow outside off, an attempted punch over cover off the back foot and it ends up getting inside edged in the air, just past the left of the bowler as he tries to reach it by going down low, for a single! 

18.1 Kane Richardson to Matthew Gilkes, over the wicket, short outside off and punched to backward point off the back foot, for no run. 

The Manuka Oval crowd loves it with a bunch of Sydney fans packed in the stands. Their team is only a hit away from victory to get closer to the top four spot.

17.6 Fawad Ahmed to Alex Ross, FOUR RUNS AGAIN! Good length ball on off and a hard reverse sweep this time to deep point, in the gap, for a boundary! 

17.5 Fawad Ahmed to Alex Ross, FOUR MORE! Good length ball on off, googly and this gets hit on the charge with a lot of wrist-work to deep mid-wicket's right, for a boundary! 

17.4 Fawad Ahmed to Matthew Gilkes, full on off, tapped to the right of short cover reverse sweep, for a single! 

17.3 Fawad Ahmed to Matthew Gilkes, good length ball outside off, stroked to cover from the front foot, for no run. 

They've run four there! Excellent running! 

17.2 Fawad Ahmed to Matthew Gilkes, FOUR RUNS! Good length ball outside off and a cheeky little reverse sweep to the third man area, and they end up running four, even after the good stop in the deep! 

17.1 Fawad Ahmed to Alex Ross, over the wicket, full and slow on leg, Ross makes room against that googly and taps to cover for a single. 

That's what the power surge does. Those two overs were good enough to bring the equation down to a run-a-ball in this contest. With 18 needed off 18, the Sydney Thunder should cruise to the finish line from here on.

16.6 Tom Rogers to Matthew Gilkes, short and slow on off, this too is a mishit to mid-on off the pull shot on the back foot, for no run.