7th-placed Brisbane Heat takes on table-toppers, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.
Brisbane lost by a narrow margin of one run against Hobart Hurricanes in their last match. Chasing a below-par total of 151, a top-order collapse was followed by some resurrection from Lewis Gregory and James Bazley only to fall agonizingly short in the end. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was the star with the ball taking five wickets for 15 runs. Gregory was quite expensive conceding 38 runs in his three overs.
Sydney won against Melbourne Renegades by two wickets. Chasing a target of 169, Josh Philippe top-scored with a sublime knock of 48 and Jason Holder played the role of a finisher to perfection with an unbeaten 18-ball 33. Carlos Brathwaite had a bad day in the office as he gave away 42 runs in his four overs.
Team News
Tom Cooper has been woefully out of form with the bat for Brisbane. Joe Burns may get a look-in after being released from the Australian test squad. Joe Denly will also be available.
Jordan Silk and Holder have been vital cogs in the middle-order for Sydney. Holder's three-game BBL contract has expired and he will no longer be in action. Jake Ball may play this match after finishing his hotel quarantine period. He has replaced Tom Curran in the squad.
Pitch and Conditions
Out of three games played in Brisbane so far, the team batting first has won two matches. Even totals of 150 can be defended successfully if the bowlers get their act together. Batsmen have to stitch partnerships to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Probable Playing XI
Brisbane Heat (BRH): Max Bryant, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth/Joe Burns, Tom Cooper/Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson (c & wk), James Bazley, Simon Milenko, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Sydney Sixers (SYS): Josh Phillipe (wk), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes (c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Thomas Rogers/ Justin Avendano, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshius, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Manenti/Jake Ball
Key Battles
James Bazley vs Daniel Christian
Bazley hit a 31-ball 49 in the previous match. The batting all-rounder has made significant progress in the BBL and has improved his finishing skills to a great extent. He can handle pressure situations very well.
Christian took 2 wickets for 19 runs in the last game. The veteran all-rounder is a handy medium-pacer who controls the run flow effectively with his repertoire of variations. He is a smart bowler, especially in the death overs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman vs Jason Holder
Silk scored 31 runs in the last match. He is a crucial player in Sydney's middle-order. He can accelerate the pace of scoring with his power-hitting.
Mujeeb won the man of the match in the previous game for his five-wicket haul. The teenager flummoxes batsmen with his off-breaks and carrom balls. His variations are difficult to identify. He can suffocate with his accuracy and bowls effectively at any stage of the innings.
Prediction
A win for Brisbane could seem them jump to the fifth spot on the points table. Sydney will look to consolidate their spot at the top of the table with a victory. Sydney has a deep batting line-up with a range of big-hitters. Brisbane has some game-changing bowlers in their attack.
Cricwizz predicts Brisbane Heat to win the match