There is one match in the Big Bash League on Wednesday as the Optus Stadium in Perth is back in the spotlight when the former winners Perth Scorchers take on the current champions Sydney Sixers in the latest contest in the competition.
The Scorchers haven’t had the best of starts to the season but look to be on the up but they face a stern test here in the form of the Sixers who will go into the match on top of the pile as they look to launch a successful title defence.
Perth Scorchers
You got the feeling that it was a matter of time before the Perth Scorchers came good and it was always going to be when their English overseas pair arrived. Now that they are in situ there looks to be a much better balance about this Perth Scorchers side and it is no surprise that they have won successive matches heading into this game. If there is a team that is going to break into the top five from the outside it could well be the Scorchers.
One of the reasons for that is the natural improvement that has come with the arrival of their English pair but the other reason for it is that they have a game in hand of all those around them and if they win that and get the Bash Boost point in it then they are right in contention. Perth generally play their home conditions well too so they have plenty going for them here not just their upturn in form, which is very welcome.
Sydney Sixers
After a busy weekend the Sydney Sixers will have been pleased to have a couple of days off to take stock and recover from their exertions which saw them lost to the Brisbane Heat before beating the Adelaide Strikers. That win sent them to the top of the table and a win here would put them in a very strong position to finish in the top five and have a crack at making a successful defence of the title come the business end of the campaign.
This has been a different season for the Sydney Sixers to what we are used to seeing. Usually we see them dominate with the ball and then just about do enough to get the job done with the bat, however things have turned on their head this term. This year they have been a lot stronger with the bat, to the extent that they have been fearless in that department, and just about getting the job done with the ball in the main. It will be interesting to see whether that trend continues here or whether they revert to the norm.
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Team News
Unsurprisingly the Perth Scorchers have named an unchanged squad from the win over the Melbourne Renegades last time out and it would be something of a surprise if they make any changes to their 13 unless there is a late issue.
The Sydney Sixers have also named an unchanged squad from the one which dispatched the Strikers last time out but it was hinted during that match that the schedule forced Jackson Bird and Steve O’Keefe to sit out therefore they could return here especially with Jake Ball having gone for plenty on his debut.
Betting
Usually I would be looking for the bowlers to be on top when these two teams meet but that isn’t the case this season. One of the reasons for that is that the wicket here looked absolutely superb for batting in the opening match on this ground. These two sides have edged their way towards being better with the bat than they are with the ball and that is a trend of the game really. Pitches are much better for batting and the new rules support entertainment and scoring runs.
With that in mind, I like the over 325.5 runs in this one. That means we need both teams to score 163 in the match and Perth comfortably did that in their last game and would have done it in the one before had they not reached their target. The Sixers have reached that score in all but two of their matches. In the ones they didn’t get there, in one of them they scored 162 and in the other they were 151/3 when they achieved their target with two overs to spare so they would have got up to 163 there had they needed to. With the power surge and everything else in play and two powerful and deep batting sides I like the over here.
Tips
WON – Back Over 325.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Betway
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