BBL Tips and Previews, 17-18 January
Sydney Sixers vs. Adelaide Strikers
January 17th
Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers will clash for the second time in BBL 12 when the two sides meet at C.ex Coffs International Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Sixers were no match for the Strikers in their season opener, going down by 51 runs on the back of a 53-ball 84 from Matt Short.
It is a different Sixers unit at this stage of the competition, however, who now sit 2nd on the ladder following an impressive six-run victory over Perth Scorchers on Sunday. Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon returned to the Sixers set-up, but Sean Abbott proved the difference with a match-winning 3/18 (4). Abbott rolled Cam Bancroft and Aaron Hardie within the first four overs of the Scorchers’ innings before recapturing the momentum for his side by ending a Nick Hobson cameo in the 17th over.
The Strikers will be looking to bounce back from a shock 17-run loss to the Brisbane Heat in their last outing.
The market understandably gravitated towards the Strikers, but the bottom-placed Heat got the job done by keeping Adelaide to just 9-137 while chasing 154. It means the Strikers have lost two in a row and slumped to a 5-6 record.
Travis Head and Alex Carey were essential inclusions for the Strikers, joining Matt Short and Chris Lynn and creating one of the most intimidating top orders in the competition.
Despite Adelaide’s batting prowess, the Sixers are the form side and should solidify their top-two spot in this one.
Suggested Bet:
Sydney Sixers to win at $1.67
Perth Scorchers vs. Hobart Hurricanes
January 18th
Perth Scorchers will return from their three-game road trip to Brisbane and Sydney with a return bout against Hobart Hurricanes at Optus Stadium on Wednesday.
It comes at a good time for the Scorchers, who will enjoy playing in front of their home fans after suffering just their third loss for the season against the Sydney Sixers. After keeping the Sixers to 5/151 from their 20 overs, the Scorchers could not make any inroads as they lost early wickets and ultimately played catch-up the entire innings. English international Stephen Eskinazi stood out with 66* (54), while Nick Hobson made the most of his rare chance with the bat by belting an 18-ball 27.
On the other hand, the Hurricanes will be full of confidence following their dominant five-wicket win over Sydney Thunder. They had stars with both bat and ball on the night, with Nathan Ellis (4-27) and Patrick Dooley (3-22) doing the damage with the kookaburra before Tim David drove them home with a brutal 76* (41).
Dooley’s unorthodox off-spin has been a revelation in BBL 12, and he sits eighth on the leaderboard with 15 wickets. He was instrumental in Hobart’s win over the Scorchers earlier in the season with 4/16 (4). Perth’s Andrew Tye is currently leading the Golden Arm with 20, ahead of Sean Abbot (19) and Tom Rogers (19).
The Hurricanes need to win to stay in touch with the top four sides, but it’s hard to see the Scorchers dropping two in a row, especially in front of the faithful.
