The Big Bash League is back in the Australian capital on Saturday when two of the three best sides in the competition as the Sydney Sixers take on the Perth Scorchers at the Manuka Oval in a juicy clash in Canberra.
This sees the defending champions, who currently lead the way in the standings, taking on a Perth side in a clash between two teams who account for five of the nine titles so far in this competition. We’re all set for a cracking contest.
Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers have won three of their last four matches to send themselves comfortably clear at the top of the table. They are probably a win away from securing a place in the top five at the end of the season, but from this position they will be looking for a lot more than that. Their objective from here on in will be at least a place in the top two and should they win this match they will move at least 11 points clear of the Scorchers.
It won’t be lost on the Sixers that their most recent defeat came against the Scorchers and it was a pretty heavy one too so they will be out to prove that they are better than they showed in Perth. Both their batting and their bowling let them down in that match. That has been a trend of the season where their bowlers are concerned but to be fair their batsmen in the main have been on fire to date in the competition.
Perth Scorchers
It took a long time in coming but the Perth Scorchers are beginning to surge in this tournament now. The bulk of their victories have come on their home turf at the Optus Stadium so they will have to prove that they can get results on the road. If they can get some wins away from home then they are right in the mix as title contenders, and we know from the past that they are a side who know how to go all the way when the knockout pressure arrives.
The Scorchers’ batting has really come alive since their return to Perth and it is probably that unit which needs to keep on going well now they have left the west. I say that because you get the impression their attack is going to go well in all conditions now they have got a bit of confidence behind them. There is a bit of a jam on 20 points at the minute so every match is vital for the Scorchers. This is their game in hand though so this is almost a bonus game for them.
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
The Sydney Sixers remain without Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott so they have named an unchanged squad from the one which won the Sydney Smash earlier in the week. They are likely to go in with the same side too.
There are good and bad in terms of team news for the Perth Scorchers for this match. The positive is that they have Colin Munro back after he has recovered from his injury. The bad is that they will be without Mitch Marsh who has sustained an injury of his own.
Betting
I’m a little bit surprised that the Sydney Sixers are the outsiders for this match but given how they were smashed up by the Perth Scorchers in the reverse meeting between the two I’m not sure I can back them to win. As it goes I think there are reasons to believe the Sixers will win the match, not least because Mitch Marsh is a pretty big loss for the Scorchers but huge defeats like the one Sydney suffered in Perth can leave an aftereffect.
Instead I’ll go to one of the side markets where the boundaries are the focus of my attention. The line here is 35.5 and with both batting line ups full of power and moving along strongly at the minute I expect these ropes to be peppered throughout the contest. We’ve seen all season that this ground isn’t big and the fast outfield only goes to effectively make the ground smaller. There is a slight concern that the Sixers fall flat on their face again but as I’ve said I think they turn the tables here. Whether they do or they don’t I expect both teams to bat well on this pitch and I expect this boundaries line to be covered.
Tips
WON – Back Over 35.5 boundaries for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with William Hill
Back it here:
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021
