Melbourne Renegades lock horns against Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.
Both sides are playing their first match in the BBL this season. Melbourne have a star-studded batting line-up with the likes of Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, and Rilee Rossouw. Kane Richardson will be the spearhead of their bowling attack.
Perth too is not short on batting options with Colin Munro, Cameron Bancroft, and Ashton Turner their key players. Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff form the backbone of their bowling attack.
Team News
Melbourne will miss James Pattinson who is on national duty. Sam Harper and Beau Webster will play a crucial role in the middle order.
Perth has leggie, Fawad Ahmed who can take wickets at regular intervals. Jhye Richardson and Joel Paris are exciting fast bowling assets. They have two wicketkeepers in Josh Inglis and Joe Clarke.
Pitch and Conditions
Hobart is known to be a batting-friendly pitch. The average first innings score in this ground is 168. Out of 40 matches played here, the team batting first has won 21 games while the chasing team has clinched victory 19 times.
Probable Playing XI
Melbourne Renegades (MLR): Sam Harper, Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Rilee Rossouw, Beau Webster, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Benny Howell, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Jon Holland/Zak Evans, Josh Lalor.
Perth Scorchers (PRS): Josh Inglis, Colin Munro, Liam Livingstone, Cameron Bancroft, Ashton Turner, Mitchell Marsh, Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson/Joel Paris, Andrew Tye, Fawad Ahmed.
Key Battles
Aaron Finch vs Andrew Tye
Finch is an aggressive top-order batsman who is well-known for his hard-hitting ability. He has scored heavily in limited-overs cricket maintaining a lot of consistency. Being the skipper of his side this time, the onus is on him to lead from the front.
Tye has enough variations in his arsenal to keep Finch quiet. His ability to bowl yorkers is his biggest strength. He not only possesses good skills but also has the temperament to execute them perfectly. He is a reliable slog-overs bowler who can choke the batsmen with pressure by his accuracy. Finch must watch out for his clever knuckleball.
Kane Richardson vs Liam Livingstone
Livingstone is an aggressive right-hander who has a strong ability to hit big sixes. He is a perfect package for white-ball cricket as he can play destructive knocks by using the long handle. He is a mature and smart player who can be unorthodox sometimes in his batting.
Richardson has raw pace and can move the ball around effectively. He is good with the new ball and is considered a T20 specialist. His ability to bowl at any stage of the innings makes him a valuable asset to have in the shorter formats of the game.
Prediction
Perth has a formidable head to head record against Melbourne with 10 wins and just two losses. Apart from Richardson, Melbourne's bowling attack is filled with a couple of rookies. Perth has more balance and firepower and that makes them the slight favorites.
Cricwizz predicts Perth Scorchers to win the match.
