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BBL10 | Preview: Hurricanes face scorchers as the race for the Playoffs gets exciting

Abhishek Singh

The race for the BBL 2020-21 season Playoffs is getting excited with each passing day, and with the tournament reaching to its final stage, it is bound to get even more exciting as the two hopefuls for a position in the Playoffs collide at the Docklands in Melbourne, a neutral venue for both the sides. 

Both the teams have won their last games and look in fine touch to give a treat to the audiences although at the last time these two collided at the Optus in Pert, they weren’t really able to pull off a stunner as a one-sided affair was won comfortably by the Scorchers. But this is not Optus and two dangermen of the Hurricanes look in too sublime a touch to be rolled over easily. 

The biggest battle between bat and ball

The two teams competing are also the two teams in the tournament which have established themselves as best representatives of Batting and bowling prowess. With Jhye Richardson in the ranks of the Scorchers and Ben McDermott flexing his big muscles for the Hurricanes, it is going to be a clash of the titans with the bat and the ball. 

Last time around, Richardson, 24, had got McDermott, 26. out very easily and thus this match presents itself as an opportunity for Big Ben to redeem himself against the Scorchers and Richardson, more so because he finally seemed in full form after ages as he murdered the ball at Manuka against the Thunder. Apart from this big battle, the likes of Jason Brehendroff and Andrew Tye have bowled brilliantly too and with Dawid Malan and Tim David finding their form in the last game as well, this is going to be a huge battle between the two sides and the one with the nerves of steel is going to come out victorious. 

But that doesn't mean that the other departments of these two teams are weak. In fact with Lima Livingstone, Jason Roy, and Colin Munro getting into form all at the same time, teh Scorchers have a decent batting lineup which must be feared by all. Similarly, the three Hurricanes' pacers in Scott Boland, Riley Meredith, and Nathan Ellis combined with Sandeep Lamichchanne’s leg-spin and Mitch Own and D’Arcy Short's part-time bowling looks like a good enough bowling unit as well. 

Security at stake

This match is more important than any other game in the tournament as with a win in this game, whichever team archives it, they would give a headache to the rest of the six teams while securing themselves a moment of relief. With this win, either Hurricanes or Scorchers would reach at least 26 points, thereby putting pressure on Strikers and Stars especially as they have only two games left and they would be behind by two or more points from the second-place team. Therefore a victory in this game is a must for both teams. 

New inclusions

While the Hurricanes for the first time will have their regular skipper in Matthew Wade alongside experienced wicketkeeper Tim Paine, the Scorchers have been rewarded with the inclusion of big Mitchell Marsh who has recovered from the injury and is ready to crack it at the Docklands.  

Hurricanes vs Scorchers: Match Details

Match Number- 47

Date and Time- Jan 22, 2021, 10:35:00 am IST, 4.05pm Local, 05.05 am GMT

Venue- Adelaide Oval

Broadcast- Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network

Pitch Report

The pitch at the docklands, as seen during the Melbourne Derby seems to be a bit on the slower side with odd balls holding up and gripping and also a hint of swing even with the white ball if the bowlers hit the right length. Thus at such a pitch, going for a high score should not be the option for the team batting first, rather the batsmen must settle down and apply themselves to get the best use of the wicket and ground dimensions during the slog overs as was taught by Mckenzie Harvey in the last game here. 

Weather and Bat Flip

With the weather being mostly sunny in the daytime and light winds in the late evening, the team winning the bat flip would look to field first and utilize the winds for fast bowlers to chase down a target in the second innings. 

Strongest XI Hurricanes

Ben McDermott (wk), Matthew Wade (Captain), D'Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Tim David, Tim Paine, Mitchell Owen, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Riley Meredith, Sandeep Lamichhane

Strongest XI Scorchers 

Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner (c), Aaron Hardie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed

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