The last Big Bash League match before a little break for the Test series between Australia and India to begin takes place on Wednesday when the Perth Scorchers take on the current leaders Melbourne Stars in a decent looking battle.
The Stars have played two matches already this season and have won them both and picked up the Bash Boost in each of them as well. Perth Scorchers have only played the one game which they came away from empty handed after a poor defeat.
Perth Scorchers
The Perth Scorchers certainly won’t need me to tell them where they went wrong in the opening game of the tournament. Their batting performance was very ordinary indeed and they can’t afford that again if they are going to have any chance at all of winning this match. They toiled hard with the ball but they never looked like having enough runs on a good wicket and to be fair after shooting themselves in the foot as often as they did they didn’t deserve to win.
We can probably allow the Scorchers one bad performance in what has been a strange year which has meant that a lot of rust has gathered over a number of sides but they will need to show a dramatic improvement here, not just to have any chance of winning, but also for their own peace of mind moving forward. A good dominant batting display would be just what the doctor ordered as often when they bat well they win with the quality of their bowling attack.
Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars have always had a reputation for being an excellent regular season side and they are already living up to that tag with two very emphatic wins from their opening two matches. Most of their players have contributed in the two games which is never a bad thing for a side and that will give them even more confidence moving forward. It is a little bit early in the season to say they are the team to beat but you fancy complacency might be their toughest opponent at some point.
The Stars are largely as good as they are because their bowling attack keeps on coming at you but if there is a concern it might be that sometimes they rely a little too much on their spin and we saw on this pitch on Tuesday that the wicket suits the seamers a little more. A lot of their big hitters might find it harder to hit through the line on this pitch too so it will be interesting to see if they can rein themselves in and box a little smarter.
Special Offer
Sign up for an account on the Betfair Exchange and get a free £20 risk free bet to use on the BBL! Click the image below to bet. 18+ T&Cs apply. New accounts only. Gamble Aware.
New customers only, bet up to £20 on the Exchange and if your first bet loses, we’ll refund you £20 in Cash. Bet must be placed in first 7 days of account opening. Click the above image to bet. T&Cs apply. Payment restrictions apply.
Team News
Perth Scorchers have been forced into a change in their squad for this match with Jason Behrendorff missing due to the birth of his child. Joel Paris claims his spot in the squad and is likely to replace him in the side. Kurtis Patterson will hope for a first go of the season.
There are changes to the Melbourne Stars squad too with Adam Zampa granted leave and Dilbar Hussain out injured. The big news is that Nicholas Pooran has arrived and Nic Maddinson is back from Australia A duty but there is no getting away from there being a lighter look to them with the ball.
Betting
I’ll take the chance that the Perth Scorchers bounce back in style from their disappointing defeat in the opening game here. Hopefully they put on a better batting display than they did in that first game and if they do then they will have a lot going for them on a pitch which felt a little like the WACA with the pace and bounce that was in it in the Tuesday match. Melbourne Stars have won their opening two matches but were indebted to the Sydney Thunder collapsing with a chance to win in their second game.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Stars are going to miss Adam Zampa here and Dilbar Hussain. They are two key cogs to their bowling which might leave the others slightly exposed here and while they have a very strong looking batting line up, whether they have the nous to play well on an awkward wicket remains to be seen. Perth will need to bat much better here than they did in their opening game but if the light nature of the Melbourne attack assists with that the men in orange can rebound with a win in this one.
Tips
VOID – Back Perth Scorchers to beat Melbourne Stars for a 3/10 stake at 2.15 with 888sport
Back them here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2020
