Sydney Thunder all-rounder Sammy-Jo Johnson believes Wednesday's local rivalry clash with the in-form Sixers will be her side's toughest game of the WBBL season.
COVID-19 outbreaks meant no games were played in Sydney last summer and the first-placed Sixers have been better able to capitalise on home comforts this time around than the Thunder, who sit second-last.
Tough wickets at their Blacktown home ground have done the Thunder no favours and the Sydney Smash at North Sydney Oval looms as critical to their chances of salvaging a WBBL campaign fast approaching its halfway point.
The Thunder and Sixers share Cricket NSW's new centre of excellence at Silverwater and observing the women in magenta has left Johnson confident the Smash will be her side's toughest fixture of the summer.
"I think it will be," she said.
"We know exactly what they do but we know how competitive they are, we know how talented they are.
"We have to win. We have to win games of cricket to make finals."
Thunder captain Rachael Haynes said fielding needed to be a point of focus for the Thunder, who take the second-least wickets on average of the eight WBBL sides.
"The reality is we need to win as often as we can from this point forward," the former Australian vice-captain said.
"We've had rain interrupt a few games now and have let ourselves down in the field more than anything.
"We've shown what we can do with the bat and with the ball. We've just got to string it all together now."
As she approaches 100 WBBL wickets, Johnson said she was especially looking forward to bowling against newly appointed Australian vice-captain Alyssa Healy at the top of the order.
"We've always had some good battles up the top in the powerplay so if I can another one up on 'Midge', I'll be really happy," she said.
