SCO Vs STR BBL 2023-24 Knockout | Playing 11 Prediction, Cricket Tips, Preview & Live Streaming

Adelaide Strikers (X.com)

The playoff stage of the Big Bash League 2023-24 season will commence on Friday, and for the knockout game, defending champion Perth Scorchers will lock horns with Adelaide Strikers at the Perth Stadium on Saturday, January 20. The loser of the game gets eliminated, whereas the winner will advance to the challenger round.

SCO Vs STR: Team Previews

Perth Scorchers

Perth Scorchers are not unfamiliar with the art of winning. They have as many as five BBL titles to their names and are on a quest to defend one this year. However, this season has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. 

After losing captain Ashton Turner to an unfortunate hamstring injury, the team regrouped under the leadership of Aaron Hardie to find a place in the top four.

Having said that, the knockout game against Strikers won't be a cakewalk. The team is set to lose Laurie Evans to ILT20 and Zak Crawley to national duties. Moreover, Stephen Eskinazi's participation is subject to fitness.

Needless to say, the responsibility to lead his team through will fall on Captain Hardie, as he also happens to be the team's lead run scorer. 

However, bowling is a point of concern as the Scorchers failed to defend a total of 197 runs in its previous fixture. Jason Behrendorff will lead the bowling attack for the high-stakes knockout game.

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Adelaide Strikers

Adelaide Strikers have won four of the previous five fixtures in the league stage and, as a result, qualified in fourth position on the points table. However, despite winning momentum on their side, the numbers are against the Strikers as they have yet to win at Optus Stadium in the past four years.

Moreover, Strikers will miss the services of Chris Lynn, Jamie Overton, and Adam Hose as the trio are off to the UAE to participate in the ILT20. Josh Kann and batter Henry Hunt have been named as replacements. 

Regardless, Jake Weatherald's resurgence has come at the right time for the Strikers. Moreover, Matthew Short, who has over 500 runs in this edition, is expected to lead the batting unit against the Scorchers.

Overall, the game seems evenly poised, as both sides will step out with a half-strength squad for the high-pressure knockout game.

SCO Vs STR: Match Details & Live Streaming 

SCO Vs STR: Perth Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch in Perth traditionally offers good pace and bounce, which is an ideal condition for fast bowlers. However, this season, the venue has produced rare high-scoring games. In the last game, over 300 runs were scored on this pitch in total. Thus, a repeat of the same cannot be ruled out. Also, it's important to note that a used wicket will be available for this game. Besides, since it's an afternoon game, batting first should be the captain's first choice on this surface.

SCO VS STR: Probable Playing XIs

Perth Scorchers: Stephen Eskinazi, Sam Whiteman, Aaron Hardie (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Haris, Cooper Connolly, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris

Adelaide Strikers: Matthew Short (c), D Arcy Short, Jake Weatherald , Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Josh Khan, Harry Nielsen (wk), Henry Thornton, David Payne, Cameron Boyce, Lloyd Pope

SCO VS STR: Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips

SCO Vs STR: Winner Predictions

Perth Scorchers are difficult to beat at home. The history, stats, and current scenarios are all in their favor. Moreover, with the game evenly poised with respect to squad strength, Scorchers are most likely to win this knockout game and advance into the challenger round accordingly.

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