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Perth Scorchers face the table toppers, Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League 2020 (BBL 2020).

Perth began their campaign losing to Melbourne Renegades by seven wickets. On the other hand, Melbourne is on a roll having won two matches in a row against Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder respectively.

Team News

It was a collective batting failure for Perth in the last game as they could muster only 130 runs on board. The top-order batsmen were dismissed early and Aaron Hardie scored 33 runs. Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye went wicketless while Jhye Richardson was impressive as he scalped two wickets. 

Melbourne defended their targets successfully twice. Glenn Maxwell is scoring heavy runs while Marcus Stoinis gave a strong start in the previous match.

 Nathan Coulter-Nile took four wickets in the first game and Adam Zampa scalped two wickets in the second match. Dilbar Hussain has been giving them great support but he is injured due to a hamstring strain and will miss the action for 4 to 6 weeks. 

Pitch and Conditions

The chasing team won the last encounter in Launceston. Teams that post below-par scores will not have any chance of claiming a victory. The batsmen need to stitch partnerships to rake in the benefits. 180 will be the par score. No rain is expected for the match and clear weather will prevail.

Probable Playing XI

Perth Scorchers (PRS): Josh Inglis, Colin Munro, Joe Clarke, Mitchell Marsh,  Ashton Turner, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Fawad Ahmed.

Melbourne Stars (MLS): Marcus Stoinis, Andre Fletcher, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Ben Dunk(wk), Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe, Nathan Coulter-Nile/Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Lance Morris/ Tom O Connell 

Key Battles

Ashton Turner (PRS) vs Adam Zampa (MLS)

Ashton Turner Adam Zampa BBL
Ashton Turner (PRS) vs Adam Zampa (MLS)

Turner scored 24 runs in the last game. He is a vital cog in the middle order for Perth. He is a naturally attacking batsman and highly capable of big-hitting. He has matured a lot like a batting all-rounder.

Zampa was merciless against Sydney in the previous match. The leggie gave away just 10 runs in four overs and he got two wickets. He bowls a deceptive line and tosses the ball up frequently. If the pitch is dry, he can extract more turns from the surface and cause havoc. He has improved on his game and repertoire in recent times.

Jhye Richardson (PRS) vs Melbourne Stars (MLS)

Jhye Richardson Melbourne Stars BBL
Jhye Richardson (PRS) vs Melbourne Stars (MLS)

Stoinis scored 61 runs in the last game. The right-hander gave the ideal start for his side with his scintillating stroke play. Since he is playing at the top of the order now, he can take some time to settle down and later clear the ground with his brutal hitting.

Richardson conceded 20 runs in the previous match and took the big wickets of Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch. He is a fast-bowling asset who keeps his cool while bowling with the new ball. He can bowl at high speed and make the needed breakthroughs.

Prediction

Melbourne will aim to continue their winning run and remain at the top of the table. Perth badly needs to get back their campaign on track after a disappointing outing in the match. It will be a great battle between Melbourne's batting prowess and Perth's great variety of bowlers.

Cricwizz predicts Perth Scorchers to win the match