The New Year is welcomed in with a double header in the Big Bash League with the opening match of the two coming from Sydney as the Sydney Thunder host the Hobart Hurricanes in a big match for both sides.
These two teams met as recently as Saturday where the Thunder marched to an emphatic victory, something they will be looking to emulate in this match. The Hurricanes need to have turned that around as their need for a win is getting stronger.
Sydney Thunder
The Thunder reach the halfway mark for the season after this match and if they can find a victory in this one them they will have a winning record which is likely to be enough to see them into the play-offs if it is replicated in the second half of the campaign. They haven’t been entirely convincing all season but three wins from five would be a decent return.
Had it not been for a couple of indifferent batting performances this might have been an even better season for the Thunder than it has been. Only really Shane Watson has shown any form with the bat although Jos Buttler played well in the last game which bodes well because the bowling unit is in good order.
Hobart Hurricanes
Hobart need to put Saturday behind them as quickly as possible. In fairness I thought they did pretty well with the ball apart from one over which Jos Buttler filled his boots in but their batting effort was horrendous. Unfortunately for them it was the kind of display that can linger and have effects in future matches.
It is still relatively early in the season for Hobart so they have plenty of time to bounce back and turn things around and their bowlers are generally going pretty well so if they can find their tough with the bat then they can still push on and get in the mix over the rest of the campaign. They might need to shuffle their order around here.
Team News
Sydney Thunder have named an unchanged squad for the match and given the dominance they showed on Saturday it would be a serious surprise were they to not go in with the same starting XI.
Caleb Jewell has got the can from the Hobart Hurricanes squad after his over launched the Thunder’s innings on Saturday. Nathan Reardon comes in for him and he is likely to play given that the batting needs a lift.
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Betting
I wonder if this is too soon a turnaround for the Hobart Hurricanes to be more competitive than they were on Saturday. At the same time I guess the Sydney Thunder need to be wary of complacency especially after the quick turnaround. My gut feeling is to leave the match betting alone.
There is a player performance that I like though. Mitchell McClenaghan has taken two wickets in all four matches so far this season and if he repeats that then he will cover his line of 29.5pts. A wicket and a catch would also be enough. With the spin twins stifling sides in the middle overs teams will have to take risks against McClenaghan which will play right into his hands so with that in mind I’ll take him to cover 29.5pts.
Tips
Back M.McClenaghan’s Performance – Over 29.5pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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