Sydney Sixers set up an exciting clash against Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL 2020).
Sydney began their campaign with a 16-run loss against Hobart Hurricanes.
Melbourne won their first match against Perth Scorchers by seven wickets.
Despite two good top-order contributions from Jack Edwards and James Vince, Sydney failed to get past the finishing line as they did not have a powerful finisher. Both Jordan Silk and Daniel Christian failed and Carlos Brathwaite had too few balls left to make an impact.
Melbourne had a memorable outing with the ball as Josh Lalor and Kane Richardson scalped three wickets each.
Benny Howell's medium pace and Beau Webster's off-spin restricted the run flow effectively.
Team News
Ben Dwarshuis and Daniel Christian are picking wickets regularly for Sydney. Gurinder Sandhu and Steve O'Keefe need to step up.
The top-order of Melbourne is firing with Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch putting up a 70-run opening stand. The rest of the batting needs more game time to prove themselves. They still have a couple of bowlers, Imad Wasim, Imran Tahir, and Mohammad Nabi as part of their bench strength.
Pitch and Conditions
An old pitch will be used as there is a match scheduled before this game. Totals of more than 175 can be comfortably defended by teams if the bowlers get their act together. Once the batsmen get their eye in, they can go for the big hits in the death overs.
Probable Playing XI
Sydney Sixers (SYS): Josh Philippe (wk), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes (c), Jordan Silk, Carlos Brathwaite, Daniel Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Manenti, Gurinder Sandhu
Melbourne Renegades (MLR): Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper, Rilee Rossouw, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Beau Webster, Benny Howell, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Josh Lalor, Peter Hatzoglou.
Key Battles
Jack Edwards (SYS) vs Josh Lalor (MLR)
Edwards smashed 47 runs in the last game. He is a technically sound batsman who relies on his natural timing of the ball to score runs. Aged just 20, the right-hander is an aggressive player by nature and can play shots throughout the park.
Lalor deservingly won the man of the match award for his three wickets. The left-armer is miserly in the powerplay overs. He displays great accuracy with his yorkers. Being the front-line seamer for his side, they will rely on him to make the needed breakthroughs.
Daniel Christian (SYS) vs Shaun Marsh (MLR)
Marsh scored a fine 62 for his side. He is an enigmatic batsman blessed with exceptional talent but suffers from inconsistency. Being a free-flowing stroke-maker, Marsh can be unstoppable on his day. He can tackle the new ball with ease as he rotates the strike frequently.
Christian took three wickets and conceded 36 runs in the last game. The all-rounder is a useful medium-pacer who has clever variations up his sleeve. Earlier, he was an integral part of Brisbane Heat before switching sides to Melbourne.
Prediction
Sydney will look to overcome their disappointing defeat in the opening match. Melbourne is playing like a well-oiled unit with their tight bowling and explosive batting doing the goods.
Cricwizz predicts Sydney Sixers to win the match
