There are just three matches left in the Big Bash League season and the first of those comes from the Adelaide Oval on Saturday when the Adelaide Strikers meet the Sydney Thunder for the right to take on Melbourne Stars for a place in next week’s final.
This will be the first postseason match for the Strikers whereas the Thunder have already been on the road to Hobart and come out on top, which should give them some confidence heading into a daunting challenge.
Adelaide Strikers
The Adelaide Strikers know all about winning knockout matches having won this title in the past. Finishing third in the regular season means they host this match but they will have to travel to Melbourne for the semi-final should they win this game. There is no second chances for the Strikers so they are going to have to hit the ground running here, but they have plenty in their favour going into this match you have to say.
The thing in the Strikers’ favour is that their bowling attack looks quite sound. It rarely goes round the park and when it does it is because it is such a good wicket that their batsmen are more than able to get them out of the mess. I would suggest they are batting as well now as a team as they have gone all season and that is certainly where you want to be as a team. There is a lot to like about the Strikers in this one.
Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder went into their opening knockout match of the postseason as heavy underdogs but it soon became apparent that they were relishing that position as they delivered one of their best displays of the tournament to come through and book their spot in this contest. That was only on Thursday though, so travelling and everything else means they won’t have had much time to recover for this one which is very much a negative.
The other concern for the Thunder in this match is whether their attack is good enough to deal with this Adelaide batting line up. We saw in Hobart that their batsmen are coming back into form, and that is much needed, although if both openers were to fall early there could be a worry there. I’m not sure whether the Thunder have it in them with the ball here. If they do they are entitled to be very dangerous.
Sign up to 888sport and bet £10 before Saturday’s Premier League action begins to get a £5 free bet on EVERY Saturday PL game! That’s £40 in free bets! Click the image above to bet. New accounts only. Use code PL40. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware
Team News
Adelaide Strikers have named the same squad as the one which lost their last regular season match to the Hobart Hurricanes. They are probably going to go in with the same starting XI which is fairly settled at the minute.
Not surprisingly, the Sydney Thunder have also chosen the same 13 men that performed so well for them last time out. Unless an undisclosed injury has come about they are also likely to name an unchanged starting XI.
Betting
I’m going to play the boundaries in this match. The Sydney Thunder have just belted a load of them against the Hobart Hurricanes and I don’t see any reason why they won’t have the intent to do likewise here too. Adelaide Strikers have a number of brutal boundary hitters and there is nothing for losing here so teams will have to take risks at various times in order to win. That also equates to plenty of boundaries.
The line for this match sits at 35.5 which is probably only a reasonable one but with the hitting power we have on show in this match I think that is a line which is a couple too low. The likes of Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson can all find these boundaries and there are others as well as them who can do it too. I’ll take over 35.5 boundaries in this one.
Tips
Back Over 35.5 boundaries for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with William Hill
Back it here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2020
