The second-leg of the intriguing Melbourne derby is set to take place at the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne this Wednesday. The match between the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars will mark the 45th match of the Big Bash League 2020 (BBL 2020).
The Renegades are well out of the race after managing to win just 2 games out of the 11. Without a doubt, they have had their worst season and they would be hoping they can finish the tournament on a high. What better way than defeating their arch-rivals Melbourne Stars.
Though Aaron Finch and Co. are knocked out of the playoff contention, they can still spoil the party of Melbourne Stars. The Stars are now placed third in the points table after the win over Renegades in their last outing. But a defeat here would see them slip a few places in the table given the stiffness in the points table.
The previous encounter between the two sides went in favor of the Stars. Renegades after winning the toss chose to bat first but once again their skipper-Aaron Finch failed to make an impact once again and was dismissed for a duck. Sam Harper along with the middle-order ensured they registered a decent total of 150. The Stars in reply made easy work of the chase and ended up on the winning side by 6 wickets.
Can the Stars once again defeat the Renegades and seal their spot in the play-offs? Or will the Renegades be the party spoilers?
Match Toss Time: 18:45 Local (13:15 IST)
Match Start Time: 19:15 Local (13:45 IST)
Match Venue: Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
Weather Report
The conditions in Melbourne are once again in favor of cricket as clear skies are expected throughout the course of the day. The temperature is expected to be hovering in the 20-15 degree Celsius range and the humidity at the peak is likely to touch the 47 percent mark.
Pitch
There has not been much International cricket been played at this venue but the pitch is expected to be in favor of the batsman. The team batting first should be looking to set a target close to the 180 mark. Said that there will be some assistance for the pacers in the initial stages of the innings but overall it is a batsmen game.
Team News
Stars came out on top in their last encounter and they seemed to have found the rhythm. The replacement of Haris Rauf with Zahir Khan has done them good. The Pakistani pacer was finding the going really tough but there are high chances he would make it back to the line-up in the upcoming games as his International experience is likely to come in handy. The Stars are expected to feature the same Xl as this match could be decisive for them.
Nothing has gone in favor of the Renegades has been the norm this season. Once again they were on the receiving end despite playing their strongest Xl. Given that their race is over, they would want to end the season on a high. Jack Prestwidge was reported to be injured and according to the latest report, he is still recovering.
Probable Playing Xl
Melbourne Renegades (REN): Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh, Mackenzie Harvey, Sam Harper (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Beau Webster, Imad Wasim, Will Sutherland, Kane Richardson, Peter Hatzoglou, Noor Ahmad
Melbourne Stars (STA): Marcus Stoinis, Andre Fletcher, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (c), Nic Maddinson, Hilton Cartwright, Seb Gotch (wk), Adam Zampa, Liam Hatcher, Billy Stanlake, Zahir Khan
REN vs STA Fantasy Team
Sam Harper, Nic Maddinson, Andre Fletcher, Mackenzie Harvey, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Peter Hatzoglou
Captain Picks: Glenn Maxwell (STA), Shaun Marsh (REN)
Vice-captain Picks: Mackenzie Harvey (REN), Adam Zampa (STA)
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