BBL|12, Renegades vs Stars: Preview, Fantasy Tips and Prediction

Stars will take on rivals Renegades [Source: Twitter]

Match No.41 of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2022-23 edition will see two intra-city Melbourne franchises— Renegades and Stars — take on each other on Saturday at the Docklands Stadium. 

Both teams will hope that cricket takes centre stage this time after Adam Zampa's 'Mankad' attempt in the last match hogged the limelight away.

The Melbourne Renegades, who are place in the middle of the BBL 2022 points-table with 10 points, will want to jump ahead of the pack and regain their lost momentum. The Finch-led side have blown hot and cold, having started the tournament with three consecutive wins. 

With the business end of the competition in sight, wins in the remaining four games will guarantee them a spot in the finals week. They have added veteran Fawad Ahmed into their squad inplace of Marcus Harris.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Melbourne Stars have been marred by injuries and inconsistency since the start of the league. After notching their third win of the season, the Zampa-captained club will look to maintain their form heading into the frag end of the tournament. 

They have included Tom O'Donnell in the squad, who comes in for the injured Marcus Stoinis.

Match Details

Date and Time: January 14, 1:45 PM IST

Venue: Docklands Stadium, Melbourne

Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV App

Pitch Report: A high-scoring venue, the Docklands track will continue to help batters in the second half of the match. So far, in all three matches this year, teams chasing targets have won their respective encounters. 

Probable XI

Melbourne Renegades: Martin Guptill, Fawad Ahmed, Sam Harper (wk), Aaron Finch (c), Jonathan Wells, Matthew Critchley, Will Sutherland, Ruwantha Kellepotha, Tom Rogers, Kane Richardson, and David Moody.

Melbourne Stars: Joe Clarke (wk), Thomas Rogers, Hilton Cartwright, Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, James Seymour, Clint Hinchliffe, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Luke Wood, Liam Hatcher, and Adam Zampa (c).

Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips

Wicket-Keeper: Joe Clarke

Batters: Thomas Rogers, Martin Guptill, Beau Webster

All-Rounders: Will Sutherland, Luke Wood, Hilton Cartwright

Bowlers: Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Kane Richardson

Captain: Adam Zampa

Vice-Captain: Aaron Finch

Prediction

The Stars will look to avenge their defeat against the Renegades and move into a crowded mid-table tussle, continuing their winning run from the last match. The Renegades, meanwhile, will bank on the experience of Ahmed, who adds much-needed stability to their batting unit, and make a come back to winning ways.

Also Read: Peter Handscomb suffers injury; in race against time to be fit for India series