A scary moment happened during the Big Bash League 2025-26 match between Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers when a short ball from Sam Curran hit Daniel Sams on the helmet. The incident occurred at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Friday, 16 January, causing Sams to collapse on the field.
David Warner scored unbeaten 110 off 65 balls to take Sydney Thunder to a strong score of 189/5 in the Sydney Smash at the SCG. However, he did not get support from the other batsmen, as none of them crossed the 30 mark. Sam Curran was the bowler of choice for the Sixers, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs in four overs.
Daniel Sams got hit on the helmet after Sam Curran’s short ball.
Sam Curran bowled a fast short ball to Daniel Sams on the fifth ball of the 20th over. The delivery took Sams by surprise and he took his eyes off the ball while trying to defend.
The ball first hit Sams’ gloves and then hit the lower part of his helmet near his chin. As the ball fell just behind the stumps, he lost his balance and fell on his back.
Curran and David Warner quickly ran towards him to check if he was okay. The team physio and doctor immediately came to the field to conduct the mandatory concussion test.
Sams remained calm during the investigation and showed no signs of serious injury. After passing the concussion assessment, he put his helmet back on and hit a six on the next ball. However, he was out on the last ball of the innings.
Ouch!
Thankfully, Dan Sams is fine after the incident at the SCG. #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/bTv4SOqzJG
– KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) 16 January 2026
Daniel Sams out after concussion, Nathan McAndrew named as replacement
Following concussion evaluation, Daniel Sams was ruled out of any further action in the match. The Thunder confirmed that he is under medical observation following the incident.
Nathan McAndrew was brought into the game as a concussion substitute for Sydney Thunder, officially replacing Sams for the remainder of the competition.
Nathan McAndrew is on the field as a concussion sub for Daniel Sams. #bbl15 pic.twitter.com/uTnYiOX2FP
– 7cricket (@7cricket) 16 January 2026
David Warner takes charge of Thunder after a strong start at SCG
The Thunder started quickly after being asked to bat. David Warner and Matthew Gilkes attacked from the start and took the score to 49 runs without any loss in the powerplay. Later Mitchell Starc broke the opening partnership by dismissing Gilkes for 12 runs.
Warner dominated the innings and completed his half-century in just 25 balls. Sam Konstas struggled at number three and was out cheaply, while Sam Billings added 14 runs before being dismissed. Nick Maddinson then joined Warner and helped increase the scoring rate.
The innings gained momentum during the power surge, where Thunder scored 38 runs in two overs. Warner brought up his second century of the season off 61 balls and added 84 runs with Maddinson, who made 26. Daniel Sams scored 10 runs on four balls.
For the Sixers, Sam Curran was the standout bowler with figures of 3/28. Mitchell Starc, Jack Edwards and Ben Manenti took one wicket each.
Also read: David Warner completely destroyed Mitchell Starc on his return to BBL after 11 years!