ENG-L vs AUS-L Match Preview, Key Players, Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
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AUS-L vs WI-L Match Preview, Key Players, Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips
PSL 6: Wildermuth, Weatherald, Faulkner and Ferguson among eight Aussies heading for UAE
Usman Khawaja signs up for Islamabad United, to ply trade for the city of his birth
Usman Khawaja, the Australian middle-order batsman will finally get a chance to play in Pakistan, the country of his birth. The southpaw who has been in and around the Australian circuit for quite some now will be part of the Islamabad United franchise in the remainder of PSL that is slated to resume in June. Khawaja who was born in Islamabad is excited to be part of a club that represents the city of his birth. Meanwhile, he will also be joined by other Australian teammates Callum Ferguson, Joe Burns and James Faulkner. All these three players will ply their trade for the Lahore Qalandars. The 6th edition of the tournament was halted in March after several breaches in the bio-bubble protocols. Many players started testing positive for the virus and the organisers had no other option to postpone the tournament after 14 matches. As per the new schedule, the remaining 20 matches will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi in June. The news comes after three Australian players including Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye opted out of the remainder of the IPL. The second wave of Covid-19 has created a ruckus in India and the tension has ignited among the franchises as well. Earlier Ravichandran Ashwin and Liam Livingstone also pulled out of the tournament midway. It will be a big opportunity for Khawaja to play for Islamabad, the city of his birth. The southpaw had emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of five. The PSL schedule generally clashes with the Australian domestic calendar so Khawaja didn’t get a chance to play in the tournament before. "As long as I'm playing domestic cricket in Australia I won't get the opportunity to play in the PSL," Khawaja told cricket.com.au earlier this month. "This might be a little blessing in disguise to play over there. I'd love to go over there and play." Khawaja added. "I've played in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh but I've never played in Pakistan where I was born and it's something I would love to do, to go home to where it all began for myself, my family," he told the media wing of CA. "I love cricket returning to that region, too, because I think they're doing some really, really good stuff over there, doing some really hard work to get people to come over there and play." Khawaja has earlier played in the Indian Premier League. He was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and played six games for the franchise. He had to warm the benches for the whole 2017 season and has not been part of the tournament since. Khawaja feels that at the end of the day many people don’t like talking about the money but it is what it is. "Personally, if the PSL had as much money as the IPL there's no doubt all the international players would be going there," Khawaja was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "At the end of the day, people don't want to talk about it but it's all about cash. Cash is king. It's the reason, when at times there have been some red flags travelling to the subcontinent people have always pushed the barriers, the boundaries a little bit because everyone has a price," Khawaja spoke about the understated motivation behind playing the franchise leagues. "That's just the nature of the beast but the way the Pakistanis, what they're doing with security – I think England is going over there and I'd love to see an Australian team tour to Pakistan in the not too distant future," he opined on the possibility of a national tour to Pakistan. "Hopefully in the next couple of years would be ideal but I guess it needs a bit of buy in from the players too," Khawaja concluded.
BBL 10 | Callum Ferguson bids adieu to Sydney Thunder
Australia batsman Callum Ferguson will not be a part of the Sydney Thunder side any more. The right-handed batsman who was also the stand-in captain revealed the news on social media. “Unfortunately I was notified yesterday that I will not be offered a contract with @thunderbbl for next season. Thank you to @mhussey393 & Lee Germon/Nick Cummins who brought me to the Club & Shane Bond who gave me the opportunity to Captain a great group of men. To the #ThunderNation, the club couldn’t be luckier to have your support, it was instrumental in helping us to consecutive finals runs. I have loved every minute on & off the field with this playing group, the last 4 years have been a great ride! I am now looking forward to what my playing future holds in the @bbl,” he wrote on social media. Ferguson scored 405 runs for Thunder in 15 innings at a strike rate of over 123 and an average of 31.15 including three half-centuries.
BBL 10 | Sydney Thunder seal playoffs in their final group stage clash
The Sydney Thunder defeated their nearest rivals to the playoff spot Adelaide Strikers, in a rain-marred game to seal their place in the Big Bash League finals. Chasing a target of 116 runs in 14 overs, Thunder, riding on the pyro techniques of Englishman Alex Hales brought the house down to clinch victory with 11 balls to spare. Setting the new target of most numbers of sixes hit in a single season (30), Hales scored 63 runs in just 39 balls to lead the way for Thunder who lost their opener, Usman Khawaja, to a peach of a delivery in the first delivery of the chase. The former top ranked T20 batsman was ably supported by Australian Callum Ferguson who contributed a crafty 46 off 33 balls to stitch a partnership of 116 runs. Earlier in the first innings, Thunder chose to bowl first after the rain delay. Strike bowlers Adam Milne, Brendan Doggett kept runs in check bowling exceedingly well in the first few overs picking up three wickets in the first seven. If it were not for Jake Weatherald’s antics in the later half of the innings, Strikers would have been down and out by a long mile. When the opportunity presented itself in the 11th over (Power Surge), Weatherald took Milne to cleaners scoring 18 runs off him. Strikers put on 52 runs in the final four over, Strikers put on a respectable 115 runs. But as it would turn out, the score would not be enough for the Strikers to be defended against the mighty Englishman, and now they would have to wait for the other teams to play it out on the final day of the Big Bash League. The Strikers with 28 points are followed by Hobart Hurricanes (27), Brisbane Heat (25), Melbourne Stars (24) who are all contenders for the final qualification spot. Talk about an unmissable day of cricket. The final day is scheduled to play out three fixtures Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers
BBL10 | Preview: Thunder face strikers in a potential quarterfinal for the Playoffs
Sydney Thunder, after their last game victory against the Sixers, would be in high spirits and would like to cash on to it when they face Adelaide Strikers, another team that would be coming on the back of a great over the Heat. Playing at home, the Strikers would not be an easy pushover and hence the game is tantalizing an exciting watch not only for the fans of these two teams but that too of the Stars and Hurricanes as well, as their convention for a place in the Playoffs would depend on the results of most other games from now onwards. Hales is key for Thunder Although it will be a home game for Thunder which is happening at the home of the opposition due to covid-19 protocols, the way Alex Hales performed in the last game, surely doesn’t feel like away from home for him. In the entire tournament, Thunder have won those games where Hales has performed well. Banking on that, the Thunder would like him to keep on going for the next two games as they would be missing the services of another of their best performers, Daniel Sams in the next two games. Apart from Hales, skipper Callum Ferguson and Sam Billings too have been good touch, and their contribution with the bat, especially against a side that has got brilliant bowlers like Wes Agar and Peter Siddle is going to be crucial. Carey and Agar: The two driving horses of Strikers' chariot If Adelaide Strikers want is to have their one foot into the Playoffs, it is going to be through the bat of Alex Carey and the ball of Wes Agar. They have been brilliant throughout the series and Agar is one of the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 21 wickets in 12 innings. Similarly, Carey is one of the leading run-scorers and one of the biggest match-winners as well. Strikers then would bank on these two players even as they have other match-winners in skipper Travis Head, Siddle, and even Danny Briggs the left-arm spinner who could dart in yorkers as well. Thunder vs Strikers: Match Details Match Number- 51 Date and Time- Jan 23, 2021, 10:35:00 am IST, 04:05pm Local, 05.05 am GMT Venue- Adelaide Oval Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The pitch at the oval in Adelaide as evident from the last match is a totally T20 wicket with the ball coming on to the bat very nicely and it seemed like a graveyard for the bowlers, especially when Hales was murdering their balls. On that basis, the pitch would provide a good contest as both the teams have amazing batters in their ranks. Weather and Bat Flip The skies are going to be laden with clouds and overcast conditions might help fast bowlers early on. Thankfully there is no chance of rain and thus a full game is in sight for us. The skipper winning the flip would however like to field first as it would help him utilize the overcast conditions. Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Brendan Doggett, Tanveer Sangha Strikers Strongest XI Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Philip Salt, Travis Head (c), Matt Renshaw, Ryan Gibson, Michael Neser, Danny Briggs, Wes Agar, Liam O Connor, Peter Siddle
BBL10 | Preview: Thunder face Sixers in Sydney Smash as they fight for survival
It is going to be a battle for survival for the Thunder as they take on the cross-town rivals Sixers in what is going to be the most important game of their campaign in Adelaide. The Men in Fluorescent Green have lost three games in a row and hence what was looking like a certainty a few days ago, their chances of making it to the Playoffs have gotten slimmer by the day. This match is also important because if they are not able to win this one, the would-be facing Adelaide in two games straightaway at the Strikers’ home ground, winning those two matches on the trot would become very difficult, especially considering the form of the Strikers in their last game against the Heat. In this second Smash of the season, apart from all these things, avenging the last defeat would also be somewhere in the corner of all Thunder men's minds. Ferguson must find the right match The problem with the Thunder team in the last three games have been the throwing away of the wickets and all key batsmen getting out all at once. It is something that the team needs to look at and address as soon as possible. Even after having the top four as strong as they have with the likes of Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Ferguson himself, and then Billings coming at four, they haven’t really been able to utilize the death overs or even the power surge. On a batting-friendly Adelaide track, it would hence be necessary for skipper Ferguson to either anchor the innings or delegate it to someone like Khawaja and then let there be a free flow of runs from the other end. Similarly in the bowling department, their dependence on just Daniel Sams wouldn’t do any good as he wouldn’t be available for the three most important games of the Thunder campaign after getting a bone and ligament injury against Hurricanes at Manuka Oval. It is therefore important that the rest of the fast bowlers strategize their areas to bowl in and which overs they will bowl alongside the two spinners in Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green. Henriques, Abbott boost to the Sixers Already in a very strong position as of now, the Sixers have been given a big boost in the form of their skipper Moises Henriques and fast bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott joining them in the Sydney Smash. While this would pose selection problems, but at the same time, it is going to be a real challenge for the opposition to face a stronger Sixers team than they faced last time around at Manuka. With Josh Philippe and Steve O’Keefe in the best of their forms and two great all-rounders in Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite already available and going great, the inclusion of Henriques and Abbot is something that will boost the chances of Sixers going 2-0 in the Sydney Smash this year, until and unless Thunder find some inspiration from within. Sixers vs Thunder: Match Details Match Number- 48 Date and Time- Jan 22, 2021, 01:45:00 pm IST, 07:15pm Local, 08.15 am GMT Venue- Adelaide Oval Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The Adelaide wicket looks like a usual T20 wicket with a lot of runs scoring opportunities for batsmen and the bowlers have to really slog it out to get desired results. The only way bowlers can overpower the men with the willow in their hands is by being consistent with their variations. Bowling length or in a particular channel wouldn’t help on this wicket until and unless you have 200 runs in the kitty. Weather and Bat Flip The skies are going to be clear and the temperature perfectly all right for a cricket game hovering in the twenties of teh celsius. In such a situation, a skipper winning the toss would go for fielding first, although batting first wouldn’t be a bad option either, especially for Sixers to put pressure on the Thunder batsmen by scoring big in the first innings. Strongest XI Sixers Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Hughes, James Vince, Moises Henriques(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve O'Keefe, Sean Abbott, Jake Ball, Lloyd Pope Strongest XI Thunder Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Chris Tremain, Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Tanveer Sangha
Match Preview: Hurricanes fight for survival against bruised Thunder in BBL 2020
Hobart Hurricanes would give it their all to fight for their hopes of reaching the playoffs when they face a Sydney Thunder which has had to face two continuous losses in their last two games. Hurricanes on the other hand have lost three on the trot and their Playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. This game is also important for the men in Purple as their main players in Matthew Wade and Tim Paine would return from national duties for the next game, so the team would like to be in the hunt till that happens. Thunder batting needs to own up responsibility It is the batting unit of the Thunder that has made its progress to the place that it has. But in the last two games, two collapses meant that they were not playing on their strength and that cost them the games. It is the business end of the tournament and the likes of Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, skipper Callum Ferguson and Sam Billings, the four people who hold the key to any match. They would be looking to raise their hands and own up the responsibilities before it gets too late to get back in form. The other big asset of Thunder is its spinners and with Chris Green injured in the last game, they were put in a spot of bother, But with confirmation that he is fit and available for selection, the team would really like to choose the run flow of teh opposition with Tanvir Sangha and Green. McDermott, Malan need to bring on their best There is a saying ‘If not now, then never’ and the situation for the Hurricanes is the same. They have to win because if they don’t win now they would be dependent on other team’s results and it is one zone where no team likes to be. Ben McDermott, the wicket-keeper batsman of the ‘Canes has been the best man for them with the bat. The number one ranked T20 batsman Dawid Malan is another person on whom the Hurricanes would be banking. It is now the time that these two bring on their best game because if they are unable to do so, like in the last few games, the only way for the Hurricanes would be down the barrel in the points table. Thus McDermott, one of the leading run-scorers in this season’s BBL has his task cut out and so has Malan. They also have a chance of becoming heroes if they win that game for their team at the Manuka Oval. An opportunity beckons, but can the two of them seize it! Thunder vs Hurricanes: Match Details Match Number-43 Date and Time: Jan 18, 2021, 1:45:00 pm IST, 06.40 pm Local, 08.15 am GMT Venue- Manuka Oval. Canberra Broadcast: Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The wicket at the Manuka Oval has been one of the best for a T20 game. It has almost everything in it. It could be high scoring if batsmen apply themselves and have something for the bowlers with the ball nipping back in and the odd one keeping low as was seen in the game between Renegades and Heat. The wicket has gone dry and therefore a total of 160-170 is now a fighting total if the defending team has two quality spinners and fast bowlers who could bowl cutters well. Weather and Bat Flip The weather did play some tricks in the last Thunder game against the Sixers. For tomorrow the weather is supposed to be all sunny with clear skies. Thus on winning the bat flip, chances are that the captain would decide to bowl first although losing the toss on such a wicket wouldn’t really be a bad proposition. Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Alex Ross, Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne, Chris Green, Tanveer Sangha Hurricanes Strongest XI D'Arcy Short, Ben McDermott (wk), Dawid Malan, Peter Handscomb (c), Colin Ingram, Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Riley Meredith, Sandeep Lamichhane
BBL10 | Match Preview: Top spot in contention as Thunder face Sixers in the Sydney Derby
As the action of the BBL returns to Manuka Oval in Canberra once again, two teams at the top of the table, separated by just two points between them will collide to prove their dominance over the other and to emerge as the team to beat in the 10th edition of the league. Although it is taking place in Canberra, the Sydney derby promises to be the match of the season as two very evenly matched sides will be going against each other. Battle of the batting heavyweights Both the Thunder as well as Sixers have gained victories in the tournament so far courtesy of their superb batting display. Although the last few matches of both the teams might give a different account. In the top 10 run scorer’s list, Sixers have two players in Josh Philippe and skipper Daniel Hughes while Thunder too have Alex Hales and skipper Callum Ferguson in the same list. Usman Khawaja is not far away from making the list either sitting at the 12th position. It is therefore among these batsmen where the real fight between the two teams would take place. The form of these players along with the likes of all-rounders Dan Christian and Ben Cutting will be one of the main factors deciding the outcome of the game Thunder spin duo vs Sixers pace quartet The thunder team has been blessed with two very different spinners who are similar in the way that they like to pick wickets. Among them, they have so far got 27 wickets and are part of the top ten wicket-takers in this season’s BBL. The 19-year-old Tanveer Sangha has impressed all with his leg-spin variations while Chris Green and his adding yorkers with the off-spin has been a cause of worry for many. Sangha would also be looking to regain the top spot on the wicket-takers list as he is just two wickets away from getting there. On the contrary, the Sixers attack looks a bit weak, especially after the departure of Jason Holder and due to the unavailability of the likes of Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott due to national duties. However the availability of Jackson Bird, Jake Ball, and the spinners in Loyd Pope and Steve O’ Keefe along with all-rounders Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite has somewhat filled in that gap and as a result, the team seems to be doing just fine. However in comparison to the Thunder spin duo, the Sixers attack looks a bit weak and hence a lot will depend on the all-round abilities of Christian and Brathwaite to take the Sixers over the line, as was seen in the last game against the Heat. Christian single-handedly took Sixers to a thrilling victory with his astonishing batting display. Sixers vs Thunder: Match Details Match Number- 38 Date and Time- Jan 12, 2021, 1:45:00 PM IST, 07.15 PM Local, 08.30 AM GMT Venue- Manuka Oval, Canberra Broadcast and Live Stream- Sony Six, Sony LIV Pitch Report Manuka Oval earlier presented a wicket that had something for the bowlers if they hit the right lengths and batsmen couldn’t run away with the game. The scores were generally at par except for the last two games where the side's batting first went past 200. Soin this game, a true wicket with something for both the bowlers and the batters in it is expected. Weather and Bat Flip The weather is going to be cloudy throughout the game assisting a bit of swing and the spinners would get a bit of drift as the humidity would be on a bit of high in the second innings as well. In such a scenario, the team winning the bat flip would like to bat first and put a good total on the board to defend. Sixers Strongest XI Josh Philippe (wk), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes (c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve OKeefe, Jackson Bird, Jake Ball, Lloyd Pope Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Alex Ross, Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Tanveer Sangha
BBL10 Match Preview: Hurricanes, Thunder fight to get back to winning ways after slip-ups
The Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder, both were handed defeats in their previous games, somewhat derailing their prospects of making it to the Playoffs as early as possible. While the Hurricanes couldn’t get past Stars even after an inspiring performance by Ben McDermott with the bat, Thunder’s express train was halted by the two Joes of Heat in Burns and Denly. While Hurricanes would wish that someone like Spiecman Andre Fletcher don’t catch the way he did in Hobart in their last game, Thunder would like to have Tanveer Sangha to be a little less expensive, although he is a wicket-taker now doubt. But the youngster was taken to the cleaners by the Heat. For Hurricanes, Big Ben and Dawid must fire Hurricanes’ batting line up looks much more impressive after the induction of number one T20I batter in the world Dawid Malan and with McDermott getting into the groove, it has become even more dangerous. McDermott, 26, is now the leading the run-scorers chart in BBL10 with 277 runs in six innings at an average of over 55 and a strike rate of more than 136. Malan, 33 on the other hand has also amassed 155 runs in just four innings with one fifty as well. It is these batsmen that the Hurricanes would wish are in the best of their form. Apart from these two, there is the ever-reliable Colin Ingram and the big hitter Tim David, who too have performed well, scoring 228 and 191 runs respectively in the BBL10 so far. If these four get going, no total would be small for the ‘Canes. Thunder need some spark in bowling While the batting of the Thunder has always been on the mark, it is their bowlers that need a bit of a spark. In the seven games, the bowlers have been able to get the opposition really dismantled only twice, but on both those occasions, it was the batting that had already mounted teh pressure by scoring more than 200 runs. Apart from those two occasions the only occasion where they did bowl well was against Perth Scorchers where they were able to restrict the team at 152. With Daniel Sams not available even for the next game, the likes of Chris Green and Adam Milne need to take the responsibility. Against a very attacking ‘Canes the Thunder bowling would have its real test. Hurricanes vs Thunder: Match Details Match Number- 31 Date & Time- Jan 7, 2021, 10:00 AM local, 12.30 PM IST, 07.00 AM GMT Venue- Perth Stadium, Perth Broadcast- Sony LIV and SonyTen Network Pitch Report Up until now, only one game has been played at the Perth Stadium in this BBL season and that saw a two-way result in which the side batting first posted an imposing 185 while that batting second bundled out for just 89. The wicket, however, is a true wicket with the ball coming on to the bat nice, and of course, there is early movement. The wicket is ready for a thriller if both teams apply themselves. Weather and Bat Flip With 58% cloud cover in the daytime, the players would hope for some respite from a 37-degree celsius temperature. In the hot weather, the pitch would get better with time, and hence chasing would be a preferred option for the team winning the Flip. Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Sam Billings (wk), Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain Hurricanes Strongest XI Ben McDermott (wk), D'Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Peter Handscomb (c), Colin Ingram, Tim David, Johan Botha, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Riley Meredith, Sandeep Lamichhane
BBL 10 Match Report: Burns and Denly lead Heat to victory over Thunder
Despite a late wobble, Brisbane Heat were able to complete a rather clinical chase to gain an important victory over Sydney Thunder in their Big Bash League (BBL) match at Gabba on Monday. Joe Burns, recently dropped from the Test team for poor performances in the two Tests this summer against India, found his groove again and scored a brilliant 52 off 38 balls to spearhead the chase. He was ably assisted by Englishman Joe Denly who also scored a half-century, 50 off 36 balls, and crafted a pivotal 90-run partnership that sealed the game for the home team. In the end, the target of 175 was chased down by the Heat in 19.1 overs, for the loss of five wickets. Sydney Thunder won the toss and chose to bat first. They suffered a loss very early on as Usman Khawaja was dismissed on the second ball of the match by Xavier Bartlett. However, Thunder fought back strongly with Alex Hales and Callum Ferguson going after the bowlers. The 50 for the Sydney-based side came up in 6.2 overs as the Hales-Ferguson partnership started finding the boundaries regularly. Heat turned to their main spin weapon, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, and he brought results. Even though he went for runs in his first over, Mujeeb struck in his second over, getting Hales out four short of his half-century. The Afghan struck again three overs later to get the other set batsman Callum Ferguson out as well. At 93/3 in 11.4 overs, the match was in the balance. But it tilted towards the bowling side as Mark Steketee got the wicket of Ollie Davis soon after to leave the team at a precarious 96/4. Sam Billings played a couple of impressive shots before getting out himself for 22. Then, Daniel Sams played another great cameo, despite suffering a hard blow to his head when a bouncer struck his helmet. Sams’ 37 from 18 balls lifted Thunder from 108/5 in 13.4 overs to 147/6 in 17.3. After Sams’ dismissal, Ben Cutting took over and played a cameo of 24 from 15 balls. The Sydney side ended up with 174/8. For Heat, Mujeeb and Steketee picked up two wickets each. Heat then unleashed a major weapon in their arsenal – the super sub Chris Lynn. He and Max Bryant got their team a blazing start. Lynn threw all caution to wind and launched into various big hits. Bryant also got going with a few boundaries. The introduction of spin brought respite to Thunder. First, Chris Green ended the knock of Bryant and then, young leggie Tanveer Sangha got the prized scalp of Lynn. However, there was no backing away by Heat and in the same over that Sangha got the wicket of Lynn, his first, he also conceded 11 runs. The spinners were then held back as the pacers were brought back. The two Joes – Burns and Denly – then formed the key partnership that completely took the game away from Thunder. The only time the team wearing blue looked wavering in their chase was when Sangha picked up two wickets in two balls – first Denly and then Lewis Gregory. Another wicket quickly after, of Burns, did create some tension. But with the required run rate well under control, all it needed were a couple of boundaries to end the pressure and take the team home. With six needed off seven balls, a lofted boundary over midwicket took Heat on the brink of victory. A brace of the first ball of the last over brought curtains down on the match.
BBL: Buoyant Heat look to halt the Thunder express at Gabba
Brisbane Heat after a thrilling victory over the Sydney Sixers would look to halt another winning express, the across town neighbours of the Sixers, the Thunder. Thunder have looked supreme in the tournament so far, especially after the early defeat to Stars. But Heat are boxed to after a thrilling finish to their last fixture against the then table-toppers Sixers and would not mind beating another table topper. However, beating Thunder is anything but easy, especially with that long batting lineup consisting of some very diverse players who raise their hand at the time of trouble. The bowling line up is equally impressive with the likes of Chris Green and Daniel Sams leading a young but competitive attack. Boosted by Lynn's return, Heat would go for the kill The Brisbane franchise would finally have their captain in the mix as Chriss Lynn has now been allowed to play after he was disallowed to play the next three games, after the Heat’s second BBL 10 fixture against the Thunder. He was reprimanded for breaching the movement protocol and interacting with a member of the crowd. An already strong looking batting lineup which has the likes of Joe Denly, Joe Burns and Lewis Gregory along Jimmy Peirson would get a much needed quick scoring pro at the start of the innings. In his last match, Lynn, 30, had scored 69 and he would love to continue from where he had left against the Thunder at Manuka Oval. Along with Lynn the good form of Gregory, both with the bat and ball and that of Mujeeb too would be a pivotal factor in favour of the Heat ahead of this important contest. A victory here and the team from the land of the deserts would be up and running for the race to the Playoffs. Thunder would back batsmen to strike In all the games won, it has always been the batters who have worked extensively well for a Thunder victory, right from game two onwards. Be it by making huge totals or by standing tall in the face of tough challenges. The main aspect of batting is that it isn’t dependent on a single person. Be it the skipper Callum Ferguson, openers Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja or the new entrant Sam Billings. All of them have risen to the occasion as and when required. This time around too, they would be hoping that someone or the other takes up the responsibility. Ben Cutting would be in the line of course since it is his home ground where the match would be taking place and he himself would be itching to have a crack at the game. He could well turn out to be a game-changer for the Thunder. Heat vs Thunder: Match Details Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane Date and Time: January 4, 01:45 AM IST, 06:15 PM Local, 08:15 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report Although on a slower side in previous games, prior to the last one, the Gabba pitch finally showed it’s true colour in the match between Heat and Sixers. A pitch that had something for everyone gave the audiences a great time in the game, which resulted in a last-over thriller. A similar wicket would be expected in this game too. Weather and Bat Flip Considering that there would be 87% cloud cover and 25% chance of a shower and also the last four matches, where Heat have chased, in this match too, teh team winning the toss would look to field first and chase down a target as the wicket gets a bit better to bat on. Heat Strongest XI Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Chris Lynn (c), Joe Denly, Jack Wildermuth, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson (wk), James Bazley, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Thunder Strongest XI Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Oliver Davies, Sam Billings (wk), Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Tremain, Tanveer Sangha
Maxwell's Stars up against dangerous-looking Thunder
Melbourne Stars have to get over their heart-breaking loss to Sydney Sixers in their last game before taking on the other side from that city - Sydney Thunder. The latter team is on a high, having bowled out their opponents, Melbourne's other team - Renegades - for just 80. Both sides have produced some compelling performances this season. However, its the Sydney team which is currently ahead with three wins from four matches while Stars have two victories from an equal number of games. This will be the second meeting between the two sides in this tournament after their earlier clash on December 12. In this match, Stars had emerged victorious by a comfortable margin of 22 runs. Stars Look to Iron Out Flaws It's not been a terrible season for the Stars and things would have been looking very rosy had it not been the last-minute slip-up against Sixers. But there is still room for improvement. For instance, opener Andre Fletcher hasn't fired despite playing some lusty shots. His partner Marcus Stoinis has looked better. If they have to go far in this tournament, the Melbourne-based side have to find a working partnership for the opening wicket. Perhaps Fletcher will get another chance. Captain Glenn Maxwell is in terrific form, as was Nicholas Pooran. Hilton Cartwright is going about his work rather well. The lower order is a bit of a problem with neither Nick Larkin nor wicketkeepr Ben Dunk having had a good score so far. The bowling deapartment looks better. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Billy Stanlake form a really good fast bowling duo. They are well complimented by Adam Zampa whose form in limted-overs cricket has been phenomenal. Zahir Khan and Liam Hatcher can also be useful. The only issue is Glenn Maxwell's bowling. He backs himself but hasn't produced any results, so far. Thunder Down Under Lying currently at no. 2 in the points table, behind their city rivals, the Sixers, Thunder would like to solidify their position at the top. They have the resources for it also. Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales are very capable batsmen but have failed to convert good starts into bigger scores. Captain Callum Ferguson has got a fifty under his belt while Daniel Sams played a blinder of an innings to earn a promotion in the batting order. He failed in the first go at the no. 5 position but may get another chance. The bowling of the team looks very exciting due to the presence of two exciting players. Adam Milne has added high pace to the arsenal of this team while Tanveer Sangha has developed into a brilliant spinner. Players like Sams and McAndrew have to provide adequate support to these two, if not a great performance on their own. Stars vs Thunder: Match Details Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra Date and Time: December 29, 1:45 PM IST, 7:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The pitch at Canberra has provided good help to the spinners. The short boundaries tempt the batsmen to go for big hits, which makes spinners all the more effective. But if a batsman gets set, there are good chances for him to score big also. Weather and Toss Some clouds will hover in the sky but chances of rain are negligible. The evening will be cool, thereby providing some relief to the bowlers. Toss isn't likely to play that big a factor. Probable XIs Thunder: Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (C), Oliver Davies, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Baxter Holt (Wk), Nathan McAndrew, Adam Milne, Tanveer Sangha Stars: Marcus Stoinis, Andre Fletcher, Glenn Maxwell (C), Hilton Cartwright, Nicholas Pooran, Ben Dunk (Wk), Nick Larkin, Billy Stanlake, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Liam Hatcher