Fifth-placed Perth Scorchers takes on fourth-placed in an interesting match in the Big Bash League 2020 (BBL 2020).
Perth won their last game by 17 runs against Sydney Thunder.
Hobart lost their previous match to Sydney Thunder by 39 runs.
Head to Head
Matches Played- 13, Scorchers- 7, Hurricanes- 6
Team News
Put in to bat first against Sydney, Perth amassed a total of 185 riding on Colin Munro's 3rd fifty in a row, Ashton Turner's quickfire 13-ball 31, and Jhye Richardson's valuable cameo of 20. Sydney managed to hit 168 with Sam Billings top-scoring with 83. Richardson grabbed 4 wickets with the ball and also won the man of the match award for his heroics. It remains to be seen if Munro plays after suffering a quad injury in the last match.
Chasing a competitive target of 168, Hobart could muster only 128 onboard against a disciplined Sydney bowling attack. Skipper, Peter Handscomb scored 30 runs. Scott Boland was expensive with the ball as he went wicketless for 48 runs in four overs.
Pitch and Conditions
The team batting first has won all the four matches played in Perth so far. The Scorchers have remained unbeaten in their 3 surfaces maintaining a strong fortress in this venue. So, the batsmen need to get a defendable total on board and expect the bowlers to do the job. The weather is expected to stay cloudy without any chance of rain.
Probable Playing XI
Perth Scorchers (PRS): Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner (c), Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed
Hobart Hurricanes (HBH): Ben McDermott (wk), D Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Peter Handscomb (c), Colin Ingram, Tim David, Macalister Wright, Nathan Ellis, Nick Winter/Johan Botha, Scott Boland, Sandeep Lamichhane
Key Battles
Colin Munro (PRS) vs Scott Boland (HBH)
Munro is in fantastic form at the moment with 3 half-centuries in a row. The southpaw is known for his impressive consistency. He is an aggressive player and can take the game away from the opposition quickly. He has played maturely at the crucial number 3 spot for Perth depending on the match situation.
Boland gave away 48 runs in the previous game. He is a proven death-overs specialist with his clever variations. The well-built pacer can run through any batting line-up on his day.
Jason Behrendorff (PRS) vs Peter Handscomb (HBH)
Handscomb managed to hit 30 runs in the last match. The captain of Hobart uses his bottom-hand technique and scores heavily off the back foot. He is very good when the bowlers bowl to the off-stump as he unsettles them with his unorthodox style of play.
Behrendorff took two wickets in the previous game for 25 runs. He can swing the ball both ways and generate a lot of bounce from the surface. He is a typical hit the deck bowler and loves to bowl with the new ball.
Prediction
Perth looks unstoppable at the moment winning 4 matches in a row. No team has beaten them in home conditions yet. Another win for them could see them move to the fourth spot in the points table. Hobart can advance to the second spot with a victory as they aim to get rid of their negative net run rate.
Cricwizz predicts Hobart Hurricanes to win the match
