BBL 10 | Stars vs Thunder: Match Preview, Predicted XI, and more

Akshay Saraswat


Melbourne Stars would take the field again on Saturday in the ongoing 10th season of the Big Bash League (BBL) after their match against Brisbane Heat on Friday. The second match for the Stars in as many days will be against Sydney Thunder and would have an early start, giving the Glenn Maxwell-led side even less of a time to recover. 

The match against Thunder should be an exciting contest. Riding high after a comfortable victory in their opening game, Stars would be upbeat. But Thunder also have a talented squad. 

For the Melbourne-based team, Nathan Coulter-Nile has already hit his stride by getting four wickets against Brisbane Heat. His contest against the likes of Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, and Callum Ferguson would be worth watching. 

On the other hand, Thunder also have a decent bowling attack with Adam Milne providing the pace, Daniel Sams the death-overs bowling skill, and others in supporting role. Against such an attack, the big hitting prowess of Glenn Maxwell and co. would be fully tested. 

Thunder in Canberra

The signing of New Zealand speedster Milne is a good one but whether it works or not depends on how much control the fast bowler has on his line and length. Since the Manuka Oval in Canberra is a small ground, any error by the Kiwi bowler would give the batsmen an opportunity to utilise the pace and clear the boundary. 

The man most likely to do so is the captain of the opposition, Maxwell. He has regained his form and was hitting the ball beautifully in the recent series against India. A contest between him and Milne will be worth watching. 

All eyes would also be focussed on Sams. After a very impressive season last year, he fumbled badly when given an opportunity to shine at the international level. In the recently-concluded T20I series against India, he went for quite a few runs and failed to defend 14 runs needed by India in the final over of one of the matches. Whether that was a case of slipping on the big stage or a deeper problem would be found out this season. 

It would be very exciting if Thunder pick 18-year old Tanveer Sangha, the leg-spinner who impressed earlier this year in the Under-19 World Cup. Throwing such a young and inexperienced player in the deep end is a risky proposition. But it could also give an insight into his character. 

Overall, Thunder look good going into their first game. They haven't been much affected by the withdrawal of foreign and even Australian players. While Alex Hales is back in the team, so is Usman Khawaja. 

Can Stars Recover in Time?

T20 cricket isn't as demanding as the longer formats, still one wonders whether the Melbourne-team can get themselves geared up again less than 24 hours after finishing another match. 

Whatever be the case, it would be Maxwell again around whom Stars' batting would revolve. The good innings played by Hilton Cartwright shows that the middle order has another capable players. Both these batsmen should get some support from the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Ben Dunk, despite these two failing in the first match of the season. 

Another player to watch out for would be Andre Fletcher. The West Indian has been chosen to open the innings. A failure in the first match is a bad start, but not the end of the world. 

It's the bowling where Stars' seem to be well endowed. With Coulter-Nile getting four wickets in the opening match, the team would feel a boost. Adam Zampa has been in great form this season. He would be a big asset for his team and a strike bowler at that. Billy Stanlake can be quite handy on his day. 

Overall, the bowling seems to be the stronger suit for Stars. Their batting is yet to fully hit its stride. 

Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder: Match Details

Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra

Broadcasters: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

Time and Date: December 12, 10:35 AM IST, 4:05 PM Local, 5:05 AM GMT

Pitch Report

The pitch at Canberra has been flat and batsman-friendly this season. However, in the Stars and Brisbane Heat match, bowlers played a key role. This suggests that some assistance for the bowlers has been added to the wicket. Perhaps, the ball may swing a little. This could again help Coulter-Nile. 

Weather and Toss

While there isn't much chance of rain in Canberra, clouds are expected to be in the sky, interspersed with sunny spells. So, there isn't much chance of weather playing a big part in the game. Once again, what the captains do on winning the toss depends on whether the team wants to defend or chase. Stars may prefer the latter option after their success in the first match. 

Probable XIs

Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis, Andre Fletcher, Hilton Cartwright, Ben Dunk (Wk), Glenn Maxwell (C), Nick Larkin, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Clint Hinchliffe, Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake, Dilbar Hussain

Sydney Thunder: Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson (C), Alex Ross, Matthew Gilkes, Arjun Nair (Wk), Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Jonathan Cook, Adam Milne, Chris Tremain


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BBL 10 | Renegades vs Scorchers: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

After an exciting opening to the season in Hobart, the action will shift once again to Manuka Oval in Canberra when two heavyweights, Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers, will face each other in the fourth game of the Big Bash League (BBL). It will also be a double-header day as, in an earlier game, the city neighbors of the Renegades, Melbourne Stars would take on Sydney Sixers. In total, the two teams have met 12 times in nine seasons with the Scorchers winning on 10 of those occasions. It would thus be interesting to see how it pans out in the 13th meeting, the number Australian's consider unlucky. Renegades bank on experience The Melbourne Renegades team have with them one of the most experienced squads who have performed across leagues, all around the world, and can be trusted to deliver for this franchise as well. The likes of Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh in batting along with the fresh addition of Rilee Rossouw adds power to the batting lineup. Along with the batting, the bowling too is filled with T20 specialists in James Pattinson, Kane Richardson, Imran Tahir, and Will Sutherland. With all this experience of playing in pressure situations, the Renegades will back themselves to go bonkers in the first game itself. The Afghan imports of Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad will get late for the first game and hence the team will miss them, at least Nabi for sure. Scorchers to turn up the heat with pace trio Mitchell Marsh, the Australian all-rounder who got injured during the IPL, is back and most probably will play as a batsman and captain of the team. However, the real threat for Renegades will be the pace trio of Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, and Andrew Tye. All three of them would be playing together after some 670 days and Tye believes that it is a reason that other teams should fear them. But along with the trio, Fawad Ahmed, the leg-spinner is handy as well, having picked up 15 wickets last season. Then there is the deadly pairing of Colin Munro and Jason Roy with the bat, although Roy might not be available for the first game. Thus with all the firepower, it is surely going to be an interesting game. Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers: Match Details Match Number- 04 Date & Time- Dec 12, 2020, 1:45 PM IST, 7:15 PM Local, 8:15 AM GMT Venue- Bellerive Oval Hobart Broadcast: Sony Ten Network and Sony LIV Pitch Report If the first game is anything to go by, then the pitch remained true throughout the game and got better as the game progressed. However it wasn’t a flat deck and there was something for the bowler if they hit the right lengths, offering swing initially too. Of the 40 domestic games played so far, teams batting first have won 21 times while those batting second have managed to win 19 times, leaving nothing conclusive as to what the team winning the toss would do. The average score at the ground in a T20 game has been 168. Weather and Toss The weather is going to be fantastic for a cricket game as there is no chance of rain although the temperatures would be low giving chilly air for the swing on offer, especially with the breeze coming in from the sea Team News Melbourne Renegades The Renegades would be happy that skipper Aaron Finch is available for the first game and thus the team will be built around that. Nabi and Noor Ahmad would not be available for the first two games and neither would Imad Wasim. So that leaves only two foreign options of playing with Tahir and Rossouw. Predicted XI Aaron Finch(c), Sam Harper (wk), Shaun Marsh, Rilee Rossouw (OS), Beau Webster, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jack Prestwidge, Josh Lalor, Cameron Boyce, Kane Richardson, Jon Holland Perth Scorchers The scorchers wouldn’t have the luxury to play Jason Roy either in the first game and neither would Ashton Agar be available. The probability of Mitchell Marsh playing as a batsman is high and hence it would be a great boost having him in the middle. Predicted XI Joe Clarke, Josh Inglis (wk), Colin Munro, Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Turner, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye, Fawad Ahmed Renegades vs Scorchers: Dream11 and fantasy team suggestions Josh Inglis(wk), Aaron Finch (C), Shaun Marsh (vc), Colin Munro, Rilee Rossouw, Cameron Bancroft, Beau Webster, James Pattinson, Kane Richardson, Andrew Tye, Imran Tahir Captain: Aaron Finch Vice Captain: Shaun Marsh

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BBL 2020 Team Preview: Melbourne Renegades will put behind an off season to ignite the fire within

Melbourne Renegades, boosted by the current amazing form of their skipper Aaron Finch and new signings in the wings, would look to improve upon their last year’s showing, the worst in the history of the league. Coach Michale Klinger is hopeful that this year it would be different saying, “Everything last year was going a hundred miles an hour." BBL so far The Renegades have been one of those stories which if have unfurled well at the start of the season, had gone on to make the playoffs regularly. Into their 10th season now, the red machine have been in the Playoffs, with the best showing in the 2018-19 season, where they went on to defeat the city rivals, Melbourne Stars in a low-scoring thriller. The worst season came in the title defense, i.e. last year when they were unable to rise above the last spot for the most part of the season and ended there as well. The foreign signings If last season was a hurried one for Klinger and also the two Pakistani players pulling out, just ahead of the season, was a main worry for the new coach, he seems to have covered all this time around by signing some of the very experienced and quality foreign recruits Mohammad Nabi is one of them. The traveler, who like his Afghan junior Rashid Khan, has been in great demand across leagues, has been retained by the red and black. With an experience as vast as 270 T20 games, more than 4000 runs with the bat, and 267 wickets, there could hardly be anyone in the opposite camp who would not fear him as a player. And that’s his advantage apart from quick runs and tight bowling. Alongside him is his fellow Afghan, the young leggie Noor Ahmad. Just about 16 years, the Afghan impressed all with his brilliant showing in the Under-19 World Cup and was regarded as a prodigy after his excellent showing at Shpageeza Premier League, the premier T20 tournament in Afghanistan. He was readily signed by St. Lucia Zouks for CPL 2020, although he couldn’t reach the Caribbean to play. "We've [also] been tracking Noor Ahmad closely for more than a year now and although he's in the early stages of his career, he's an exciting prospect and he has a few tricks that'll make life difficult for batsmen," Klinger said about Ahmad. Along with these two, there are two very professional spinners in Pakistani all-rounder Imad Wasim and Pakistan-born South African leg-spin maestro Imran Tahir to bolster the bowling attack as well. However, it is the buy of Rilee Russow, the South African hitter that is going to be crucial for the Renegades, considering that he has scored nearly 5000 T20 runs in 201 games at a strike rate of more than 135 and can hit them as cleanly as anybody else. Talking about his plan of involving the foreign recruits all the time, Klinger said, “We're hoping to have three of them available as much as possible. It's going to be a combination of trying to fit in your best three of them at any stage with a combination of availability and sometimes tactical (factors) as well. We're really excited to have those (five) players with us." Melbourne Renegades BBL 10 Squad Squad: Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Josh Lalor, Shaun Marsh, James Pattinson, Mitch Perry, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Beau Webster Overseas Players: Noor Ahmad (AFG), Mohammad Nabi (AFG), Rilee Roussow (RSA), Imran Tahir (RSA), Imad Wasim (PAK) Head Coach: Michael Klinger List Manager- Andrew Lynch, Assistant Coaches- Simon Helmot, Andre Borovec, Mick Lewis Strength & Conditioning Coach- Richard Johnson, Physiotherapist- Nick Adcock Home Ground: Marvel Stadium, Docklands Experience of Finch and Marsh crucial Shaun Marsh has been one player that has performed throughout the formats, be it First Class, List A, or T20s, he could be the most bankable player that can ever exist. Even in the last season, when things were downhill for the Renegades, the Western Australian was among runs. In fact, he had the most number of runs (449) for any Renegade in the entire league. He was also one of the lead scorers in the Sheffield Shield of both the 2019-20 season and the ongoing 2020-21 season. Finch, the skipper was also among runs last season. This season, he has been in great touch, moving to the top 10 of the ICC ODI rankings. Thus, it would be between these two to take the lead and get the Red Machine running. Klinger also thinks that the batsmen need to put their hands up. “We probably need some more match-winning performances from our top six. Bowling, it's just about finding the balance to get 20 quality overs. This year I feel like we have the squad to do it," he said. The T20 Specialists: Kane Richardson and James Pattinson Kane Richardson and James Pattinson are two bowlers that Australia have had an eye on for a long and they have performed throughout the leagues as well as for the country to make a name for themselves in the shortest format. Pattinson has just recently been an instrumental figure in Mumbai Indians’ victory in the IPL 2020. Though Richardson, 32, didn’t play in the IPL or the Australian home season citing personal reasons, he would be itching to get on the pitch and prove that he is still the favorite fast bowler of the team. Not really a T20 favorite, but Pattinson has improved his line and length to suit the game a lot more thus becoming one of the spearheads, picking 11 wickets in the last IPL for the Mumbai Indians. In his last season with the Heat, he picked up 9 wickets in six innings to get a call from MI as Lasith Malinga’s replacement. Richardson was flawless last year as well, as he picked 10 wickets in eight innings for the Renegades. It is these two that would have to lead the attack to get things on board. Spinners will pave the way Spinners and especially leg spinners have been a treat to watch in the T20 format. Considering their importance, the renegades renewed their arsenal by adding two to it in the form of Ahmad and Tahir who would be playing alongside Cameron Boyce. While Tahir has experience of playing around the world and taking 392 T20 wickets, Boyce has been handy with the ball in hand. Along with these pure spinners, all-rounders like Nabi and Imad will also be crucial for the team’s growth in the tournament. “Obviously you need one of those spinners to be able to bowl a Power Play over generally. Both Imran and Noor can do that. It's going to be a huge advantage having two wrist-spinners to go with someone like Cameron Boyce,” Klinger said. Possible Best XI: Aaron Finch, Sam Harper (wk), Shaun Marsh, Rilee Rossouw (OS), Beau Webster, Mohammad Nabi (OS), Will Sutherland, James Pattinson, Cameron Boyce, Kane Richardson, Imran Tahir (OS) The Renegades play their first game against Perth Scorchers on Saturday i.e. 12th December at Hobart.