Bottom of the table Renegades up against Scorchers with renewed confidence

Finally, Perth Scorchers registered their first win of the season when they got the better of Adelaide Strikers. Their next challenge is to take on Melbourne Renegades. The Renegades are in a miserable state themselves. They have now lost five games in a row.

Playing on their home soil, Perth should have the advantage. However, since they themselves haven’t got going this season, there is no room for complacency.

This match will also feature the clash of Marsh brothers. While both hail from Western Australia, Shaun will be wearing red for the Melbourne side in this contest. On the other hand, Mitchell would be the key player for the Scorchers.

Scorchers off the Mark

After much struggle, Scorchers are off the mark in the tournament. Jason Roy seems to have an uncanny ability to turn around the fortunes of the team he plays in. In 2019, he re-energised England’s campaign in the World Cup when he returned from an injury. His arrival in the Scorchers camp seems to be having a similar impact.

The Perth side are also benefitting from the good efforts of Marsh and captain Ashton Turner. Even Aaron Hardie, lower in the order, is a handy bat. All these batsmen have great power-hitting ability which makes them very dangerous in this format. There is a little worry with the form of Colin Munro. The New Zealander hasn’t lived up to the expectations.

The trio of Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, and Jason Behrendorff is a potent one. On most days, at least one of the three is likely to come good. They have got good support from Aaron Hardie who has the ability to bowl a heavy ball. Unfortunately, for the pacers, there hasn’t been much help from Fawad Ahmed. He has been underwhelming this season even though other leggies have made a big mark.

Renegades in a Rut

Shaun Marsh played a brilliant innings in the last game and could easily have got to a hundred. His partner Aaron Finch too is a proven commodity. The pair is among the best in the league this season. Even if they get their team to 50 in quick time, they would set up the game nicely.

The arrival of Mohammad Nabi has been useful for the Renegades. He played a good supporting role in the last match to Marsh. The experience that the veteran Afghan player brings in strengthens the middle order. The decision to promote Sam Harper to no. 3 hasn’t worked yet. Still, he is an exciting talent to watch out for.

Since leg-spinners have been in vogue this season, there will be pressure on Peter Hatzoglou to perform. He has been impressive this season but doesn’t have the consistency that a Rashid Khan or an Adam Zampa possess.

Imad Wasim is a good addition to the team with his ability to bowl a tight line and length. But that may not be enough on a good Perth wicket. The pair of Kane Richardson and Will Sutherland will be under the spotlight. At Perth, they have to make a mark with the ball.

Scorchers vs Renegades: Match Details

Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth

Date and Time: January 3, 10:35 AM IST, 1:05 PM Local, 5:05 AM GMT

Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

Pitch Report

Perth has traditionally been known as the home of the fastest pitch in the world. Even though the venue for cricket matches is now the Optus Stadium and not WACA, the pitch in the town remains fast and bouncy. This is expected to be the case for this match also. But, the true bounce may also favour the batsmen. Leg spinners may also profit from excess bounce.

Weather and Toss

Temperatures are usually higher in Western Australia but evenings are likely to be cool and calm. There is no chance of rain and a slight wind may also play a part in the game. Toss is not likely to be affected by the conditions in the sky.

Probable 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

Renegades: Aaron Finch (C), Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper (Wk), Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nabi, Imad Wasim, Mackenzie Harvey, Will Sutherland, Kane Richardson, Peter Hatzoglou, Mitchell Perry

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Not sure if Natarajan can be consistent in Tests: David Warner

Left-arm pacer T Natarajan has been included in the Indian Test squad as a replacement for Umesh Yadav. Natarajan had been pretty impressive in the limited-overs format earlier on this tour and is likely to play in the longer format too for the side. Australia opener and Natarajan’s Sunrisers Hyderabad’s skipper David Warner has said that the left-arm seamer has the ability but isn’t sure whether he would be able to continue blowing at same line and length. “Good question but I am not too sure. You guys would be knowing his (Natarajan) Ranji Trophy stats and how he delivers day in and day out. I know he has line and lengths to do that, but obviously, back-to-back overs in a Test match? I am not a hundred percent sure,” Warner said during a virtual media interaction. Earlier, Natarajan was roped in place of Yadav who has sustained a calf injury during the second Test against Australia in Melbourne. While Natarajan replaced Yadav, fast bowler Shardul Thakur has been included in the side in place of Mohammed Shami who was injured during the first Test. “The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named T Natarajan as Yadav’s replacement. Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Shardul Thakur was added to the Test squad as Mohd. Shami's replacement after the senior fast bowler suffered a hairline fracture in his right forearm. Both Shami and Umesh Yadav will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further rehabilitation of their injuries,” BCCI said in its release. In other developments, Rohit Sharma has been handed over the vice-captaincy of the side. India and Australia begin the third Test on January 7 in Sydney.

Five best Test innings from 2020

The year 2020 had less of Test cricket than the average calendar year. But one distinctive feature of this year was the even contest between bat and ball in the longest format. This was partially due to conditions and partially due to high quality of bowling. However, some batsmen rose to the challenge and played knocks that have become memorable. These knocks were the best we saw in 2020 because of the context in which they were played as well as the quality of bowling As we enter a new year full of great prospects, let’s look back at the best five innings we witnessed in 2020 and recount the exploits of batsmen who played them. 5. Jos Buttler (75 vs Pakistan, Manchester) On paper, Chris Woakes made a bigger contribution than Jos Buttler in their team’s chase of a 277-run target. Indeed, Woakes played a stellar role in not just forming a match-winning partnership but also seeing his side home despite a late wobble. However, there is a very good reason why Buttler’s knock deserves to be rated higher. When the two batsmen got together at the crease, England were tottering at 5/117. Even more worrying for England was the fact that Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s ace bowler, was creating a lot of trouble for the batsmen. That’s when Buttler made a brilliant tactical move. He decided to go after Yasir and even employ the reverse sweep. This got the scoreboard moving, which, in a chase, puts the pressure back on the bowling side. This tactic also broke the rhythm of Yasir. Even more crucially, due to Buttler’s aggression, Pakistan decided to not bowl Yasir after the tea break that happened when these two batsmen were together. Buttler and Woakes took the game away from Pakistan in the final session of the day and when the wicketkeeper-batsman was dismissed, by none other than Yasir, England were just 21 away from a win. It was the bravery of Buttler, in face of adversity, that got England this wonderful win. 4. Jermaine Blackwood (95 vs England, Southampton) Many, including the great Michael Holding had been critical of Jermaine Blackwood for being a one-gear batsman. They believed he doesn’t play according to the situation and goes for his high risk shot in a careless manner. Blackwood showed that he is now no longer guilty of that by playing a wonderfully calculated knock in a tense chase for his team that earned the Windies a memorable victory. The visitors had a target of 200 to chase on a lively pitch and against bowlers like James Anderson, Jofra Archer, and Ben Stokes. At 3/27, effectively 4/27 due to a batsman being injured, West Indies looked doomed. But then, Blackwood came in and played with great intelligence. He did play the aggressive shots he is known for but also defended stoutly when required to. More importantly, he never got over-ambitious and look for more boundaries than was required at the moment. When his team was 11 away from a win, the right-hander went for a big hit to get him closer to boundary. Unfortunately, he couldn’t clear mid-off but had done the job. Even Michael Holding praised him for his effort, a sign of redemption and vindication. 3. Dom Sibley (133* vs South Africa, Cape Town) England had been searching widely for a good opening pair in Test cricket for many years. Their concerns were finally alleviated in South Africa thanks to good performances from Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley. However, it was Sibley who emerged as the bigger star of the two in South Africa with an exceptional knock at Cape Town. In a match that had been in the balance till then, Sibley, who looks rather ungainly in the way he sets up at the crease, batted beautifully against a highly-capable South African bowling line-up to bring up his maiden Test century. The way he dealt with the pace of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, along with the metronomic accuracy of Vernon Philander was a testament to his quality. It also showed that despite lacking elegance, he possessed that grit and perseverance that can turn ordinary players into greats. 2. Kane Williamson (129 vs Pakistan, Mount Maunganui) The biggest tribute to this batting performance by Kane Williamson is the fact that Pakistan bowled very well on a green surface, on the opening day of a two-match series, but didn’t have much success. The main reason for their failure was the exceptional batting by the New Zealand captain. He put on a display of batting that can easily qualify as a masterclass on how to deal with seamer-friendly conditions. Using tonnes of patience, Williamson watched every ball very carefully, didn’t play at any deliveries he didn’t need to, went for his drives and pulls only when the bowlers overpitched or underpitched respectively, and used an impermeable defence against deliveries he had to play. There was almost not a single careless shot in his innings. Pakistani pacers maintained a good, testing line and length throughout the day. It was only the greatness of the Kiwi captain that foiled their efforts. Few players can match the mental fortitude Williamson showed on that day. 1. Azhar Ali (141 vs England, Southampton) Captaining his team, having already suffered a bad loss in the first Test, and facing serious questions about his form, Azhar Ali found himself in even more trouble when his team was reduced to 4/30. However, the skipper showed that he is made of stern stuff by playing one of the best knocks of his career. In conditions where there was some help for the bowlers, he took on the an attack consisting of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, and Jofra Archer, and carved out a magnificent century. He also put to bed all the questions about his technique in this knock that was played in serious adversity. The shots that came out of Ali’s bat were a delight to watch. But it was his resistance to the wiles and skills of the English pace attack that made the innings a truly memorable one for him and his team.

Heat look to regain momentum on home soil against high-flying Sixers

Brisbane Heat would be looking to get back to winning ways after falling short by a solitary run against the Hobart Hurricanes in their year ending clash. In the new year though, they would like to move on, make use of the home conditions and crush probably the best team in the league-Sydney Sixers. On the other hand, Sixers, with four wins in a row would look to maximize on their form and the form of their star players like Josh Philippe and Daniel Hughes. Now that Holder is not available, the two other all-rounders in Carlos Brathwaite and Dan Christian would have to pull up their socks and fill in for him. Denly and Burns to turn the tides for Heat The Brisbane team has looked a depleted side much due to the pullouts from the likes of Tom Banton. Also Chris Lynn the captain has not been able to play in the last two games and won’t be available for this one either. Morne Morkel has so far been missing the action, even after being a local player now. It is due to these problems that the inclusion of experienced guys like Joe Burns, who has been released from the Aussie Test squad, and Joe Denly, who is finally fit and raring to strike hard would give Heat some confidence ahead of the game. Along with this, they would be looking to get a fine balance among their foreign stars who can all bowl, especially Mujeeb Ur Rehaman and Lewis Gregory to get the team early and timely strikes. Mujeeb showed what he is capable of with the five for in the last game, while Gregory was at the top of his game in the match prior to that. Sixers won't mind another one Having won two fiercely close games against two Melbourne sides, the Sydney Sixers won’t mind winning another close one against the Heat. They have been buoyed by the comeback of Jackson Bird and the overseas replacement of Holder, T20 Blast’s highest wicket-taker Jake Ball. The England star will be looking to make an impact right with the word go. While these factors form part of an important consideration, what is even more noticeable is the fact that the Sixers have always found an unlikely hero in every game. They wouldn’t mind one in this game either and Bir or Ball could be that hero as well. Heat vs Sixers: Match Details Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane Date and Time: January 2, 02:45 PM IST, 07:15 PM Local, 09:15 AM GMT Broadcaster: Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV Pitch Report The pitch at Brisbane has been a bit on the slower side, helping spinners with grip and turn, and also those who are ready to get slowness off the surface with their cutters. This phenomenon is more seen in the second innings, although Gabba is considered to be one of the fastest squares in Australia. No team in the three matches played here so far, have been able to get past 150 in the first innings, and the chasing team, Heat all the three times have struggled to get to that total, losing twice with close margins ( by two runs vs Strikers and by one run vs Hurricanes) and winning one with a great seventh-wicket partnership. Hence expecting a high score game would be too much for tomorrow Weather and Bat Flip The weather in Brisbane would remain a bit chilly with partly cloudy skies and a 40% chance of rain. Even in the last BBL game at the Carrara in Brisbane, it had to be decided through Duckworth Lewis, hence teams winning the flip would look to field first. Heat Probable XI Joe Bruns, Sam Heazlett, Jack Wildermuth, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jimmy Peirson(w/c), James Bazley, Simon Milenko, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Sixers Probable XI Josh Philippe(w), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Ben Manenti, Steve OKeefe, Jake Ball

BBL 10: Renegades vs Thunder: Melbourne keep sinking after 5th loss on trot

The first Big Bash League game of the year 2021 ended up being a rain-marred encounter with Sydney Thunder beating Melbourne Renegades by seven runs via Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method. After posting a gritty 166 runs in 17 overs in the first innings, Renegades failed to keep Thunder’s scoring rate under check, courtesy some phenomenal batting by Alex Hales. After Hales’ departure, Usman Khawaja took charge and saw Thunder through taking them to 117-2 in 12 overs, when heavy showers stopped play and gifted Thunder their fifth win on the bounce, since their first match defeat against Melbourne Stars. Alex Hales’ form Once ranked 1 in the ICC T20 batsman rankings (2014), it is safe to say that Alex Hales had an underwhelming career. He played 60 T20 matches in the last decade never managed to establish his place as one of the most destructive openers T20 cricket has ever seen. Having said that, at 31 it isn’t too late I guess. In the current edition of the Big Bash League, Hales has scored 197 runs from six matches at a strike rate of 175.89. Along with Usman Khawaja, he has provided important starts to his team and has been instrumental in taking the game away from the opposition from the get-go. Chasing a revised target of 173 from 17 overs in a rain-marred game, Alex Hales’ attacked Renegades from ball one. The attack wasn’t mindless. He knew which balls to push, which ones to slog and which to punch. The controlled aggression meant that when Hales (45 off 19) got out in the last ball of the powerplay, Striker were cruising at 13 runs per over. The early onslaught provided the rest of the batsmen enough margin to mess up and then get their chase back on track. Usman Khawaja outduels Shaun Marsh There can be no arguments that Shaun Marsh was the best batsman of the game tonight. His 87 off 48 balls with no support saw Renegades post a respectable total. This is turning out to be a pattern for the Melbourne team where nobody has seemed to get going this season. They started off with good intent but once again failed to stick around and deliver. Conversely, Usman Khawaja’s gritty knock in a stop-start second innings (rain delays) saw Thunder through. Yes, a lot of it was because of the start Hales provided, but Khawaja held the tempo of the game once he departed. Not out at 48 off 34, he saw through the difficult overs of Imad Wasim and kept the score running at least 10 per over. Thunder are unit, Renegades have a catcher Sydney Thunder are one tightly packed unit. Each player knows their role well and they do not lose their heads easily. They have Daniel Sams who moves the ball early in the innings and then returns later with cutters. Offie Chris Green can bowl in the powerplay and then land yorkers at the death. If you can escape those two, you have a young leg spinner in Tanveer Sangha who has earned plaudits for his approach and quality. And this cohesion is not easy to achieve and Renegades are a sufferer of that. They have lost five on a trot now and reel at the bottom position of the league with just four points in six games. All’s not lost though. The highlight of the game today was a catch taken at point by Mackenzie Harvey who flung himself to his left to dismiss Alex Hales. Like most balls today, Alex Hales middled the final ball of the fourth over. The wide full toss from Mitch Perry, rocketed off his bat and to everyone’s disbelief it was caught at point. Learnings from the game Seeing that the Australian weather is a bit unpredictable, today’s game is another good reminder that, if there is rain in the forecast, take your Power Surge early on and use it as a launch pad. Renegades tonight missed an over of Surge after the game was halted at the end of the 12th over. This meant that they were able to take just one Power Surge over with a set Shaun Marsh in the crease. Once they took the Surge they scored 67 from the last 5 overs, safe to say, they could have scored at least 10 more. Now, a third of the tournament has been played and themes have clearly emerged. Safe to stay that Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Thunder are the early advancers, while Finch led Renegades and Chris Lynn’s Brisbane Heat need to get their act sorted if they are to remain in the league.