BBL Qualifier, Scorchers vs Sixers: Preview, Key Players and Prediction

All eyes will be on Steve Smith [Source: Twitter]

On Saturday, Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers will lock horns with each other in the qualifier of the ongoing Big Bash League. The winner of this face-off will enter the final. 

Team Preview: Perth Scorchers

The fact that Perth Scorchers won eleven of their fourteen group-stage fixture pretty much sums up their clinical performance in the tournament this season. 

While Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis and Ashton Turner have showcased their class with the bat, the likes of Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff and David Payne haven't let the defending champions miss their bowling spearhead Jhye Richardson. 

Furthermore, the emergence of Stephen Eskinazi as a solid top-order batter has resolved their top-order woes, which they experienced in the earlier half of the tournament. 

So, moving on to this game, the Scorchers look rock-solid and all set to play another BBL final. 

Team Preview: Sydney Sixers

In contrast to their counterparts, Sydney Sixers had a disastrous start to their BBL 12 campaign, losing their first two matches convincingly. 

However, they made a remarkable comeback in time and finished second in the standings, winning ten out of their remaining twelve encounters. 

Talismanic batter Steve Smith seems to be in red hot form, as he hammered three consecutive match-winning knocks just before the knockouts. 

However, the other batters, especially, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk and Kurtis Patterson, must step up and assist him, as scoring freely against the mighty Scorchers could be a daunting task for the visitors. 

Meanwhile, their bowling department looks sorted with Sean Abbott, Hayden Kerr and Steve O'Keefe chipping in with crucial breakthroughs on most occasions. 

Match Details

Date and Time: January 28, 01.45 PM IST
Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth
Live streaming: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV

Pitch Report: The surface in Perth generally offers some assistance to fast bowlers throughout the day. However, with pitches drying up, it has become a batting beauty of late. However, the pace and bounce in Perth will be more than the other Australian tracks. As the deck will be more or less similar in the latter half, the toss winner will likely opt to field first. 

Predicted XIs

Perth Scorchers: Stephen Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner (C), Nick Hobson, Cooper Conolly, Andrew Tye, Lance Morris, David Payne, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou

Sydney Sixers: Josh Philippe (WK), Steve Smith, Kurtis Patterson, Hayden Kerr, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques (C), Jordan Silk, Ben Dwarshuis, Steve O'Keefe, Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird

Key Players

• Aaron Hardie: 434 runs, Average: 48.22, Strike rate: 142.76
• Steve Smith: 328 runs, Average: 109.33, Strike rate: 180.21
• Josh Inglis: 405 runs, Average: 40.50, Strike rate: 150
• Sean Abbott: 25 wickets, Average: 14.76, Strike rate: 11.2
• Andrew Tye: 24 wickets, Average: 18.45, Strike rate: 13.5

Prediction

Although Sixers have a balanced squad, the Scorchers have been formidable at home and will likely emerge victorious in this match. 

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