Bottom-placed Melbourne Renegades take on second-placed Sydney Thunder for the second time in the Big Bash League.
Sydney had thrashed Melbourne by 129 runs in their first clash. Melbourne lost to Sydney Sixers by two wickets in their last game. Despite posting a competitive total of 168, they could not defend it successfully against Sydney's deep batting line up. Will Sutherland was expensive as he conceded 57 runs. They could have given Mohammad Nabi more overs.
Sydney beat Melbourne Stars by 75 runs in their previous match. The top-order trio of Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, and Callum Ferguson plundered 159 runs and Ben Cutting's big hits took them to 219. Chris Green put the breaks on Melbourne taking 4 wickets. Tanveer Sangha was once again economical and also scalped two wickets.
Team News
Melbourne have a shaky middle-order with no good finisher in the lineup. Beau Webster can be tried out.
Sam Billings did not create much impact for Sydney in the last game. He and Daniel Sams can accelerate in the death overs.
Pitch and Conditions
Both the matches held in Queensland have been won by the chasing team. Even totals above 190 are not safe on this surface. It is best to play the waiting game and go for power-hitting in the later stages of the innings.
Probable Playing XI:
Melbourne Renegades (MLR): Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nabi, Mackenzie Harvey/ Beau Webster, Imad Wasim, Will Sutherland, Kane Richardson, Zak Evans, Peter Hatzoglou/ Josh Lalor
Sydney Thunder (SYT): Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (c), Oliver Davies, Sam Billings, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Chris Tremain, Tanveer Sangha
Key Battles:
Shaun Marsh vs Chris Green
Marsh scored a superb knock of 67 in the previous match. The free-flowing stroke-maker looked at ease with the crease timing the ball to perfection. The southpaw is a delight to watch when he plays big innings.
Green took four wickets and gave away 34 runs in his spell against Melbourne. He has been an integral part of Sydney since 2015. Having proved his mettle in T20 leagues all over the globe, the off-spinner excels under pressure and can put any batsman on the wrong foot with his clever variations.
Imad Wasim vs Callum Ferguson
Ferguson played a determined knock of 51 in the last game. Playing at the crucial number 3 spot, the skipper has been the lynch-pin for the side after he made the move in the 2017-18 season. He can play a variety of shots around the wicket and stand strong even in hostile conditions.
Wasim took two wickets for 20 runs in the previous match. The slow left-armer can control the run-rate with his nagging lines. He is not a big turner of the ball and relies more on accuracy and variation in pace to do the damage. His biggest strength is that he can bowl at any stage of the innings.
Prediction
A win for Melbourne could see them advance to the sixth spot. A victory for Sydney could promote them to the top of the table. Sydney has a range of power-hitters while Melbourne will depend on a few bowlers to do the job.
Cricwizz predicts Melbourne Renegades to win the match
