Sydney Thunder have suffered a blow in their bid to cement a spot in the BBL finals with allrounder Daniel Sams ruled out of the remainder of the regular season with a hand injury.
Sams landed heavily on his right hand when fielding off his own bowling against Hobart Hurricanes in Canberra on Monday and though he was able to continue his spell after treatment subsequent scans have shown bone and ligament damage.
It is hoped he will recover to play in the finals if the Thunder make it that far. They are currently well placed in third, but only four points separate the teams in second and seventh.
"Daniel fell awkwardly onto his right hand and wrist while fielding off his own bowling," said the Thunder's physiotherapist Murray Ryan. "Scans completed yesterday have indicated a bone and ligament injury that has been reviewed by a hand specialist.
"Dan has subsequently been ruled out of the final three Thunder round games. His timeline for a return to play will be determined by medical staff following these games."
Sams has had an impressive season so far, particularly with his rejuvenated batting where he has scored 199 runs at a strike-rate of 191.34 and has also collected 10 wickets in nine matches. He missed two games earlier in the tournament due to concussion.
The Thunder's group-stage campaign finishes with a match against leaders Sydney Sixers and two games against Adelaide Strikers. The top five teams move into the finals series with the sides finishing in the top two getting a second chance to reach the final on February 6