BBL Tips and Previews, 21-22 December
Melbourne Renegades vs. Brisbane Heat
December 21st
The Renegades have had a brilliant start to this campaign, with two wins from two games. Much maligned veteran Aaron Finch was the hero in the win over the Thunder and could be set to replicate his efforts here. Sam Harper only lasted three balls in that same game but was stiff to get an unplayable ball from Gurinder Sandhu and could be good value for a much better score this time.
The Gades’ bowling attack has been well led by Tom Rogers, who has found the knack of breaking partnerships before they get out of hand.
The Heat have only had the one game against the same team they face here. They will be after a much-improved performance from their season opener with some big expectations on import Sam Billings, who crossed to Brisbane after stints with the two Sydney teams. Look for him to get vital runs on the board in this match.
Xavier Bartlett was too loose in his three overs in the loss to the Renegades, with Mark Steketee, their best bowler. Steketee holds the key to the Heat attack and is central to any hopes of opening their account here.
Suggested Bet:
Mark Steketee top Brisbane bowler at $3.80
Sydney Sixers vs. Hobart Hurricanes
December 22nd
The Sixers have their backs against the wall, sitting at the bottom of the BBL table with two losses from two games. While they have encountered two of the competition’s most potent teams in that time, they have fallen short and need a win to get their season back on track. Kurtis Patterson and James Vince are two batters in the gun with some meek outputs to date. Their scores have fallen well short of their abilities, and both should find some runs in this one. It won’t be easy against a Hobart team riding high from its win over Perth, thanks to some brilliant bowling from Paddy Dooley. His left-arm spin had Perth in all sorts of twists on Monday, and he should be able to deliver another tight performance against Sydney.
The Hurricanes’ much-lauded batting attack was relatively subdued in that win, with Ben McDermott failing to score and D’Arcy Short taking a fairly conservative approach. If they can open their shoulders a bit more here, they will cause Sydney all sorts of problems. They’ll most likely target Sean Abbott, who hasn’t been at his economical best and will consciously try to hit out at anything delivered by Izharulhaq Naveed, who has enjoyed some success so far with his spin bowling.
