2023 begins with a double header in the Big Bash League with the opening match on Sunday coming from the Marvel Stadium as the Melbourne Renegades play host to the defending champions Perth Scorchers.
The Scorchers have already hit the summit in their title defence and are looking like they might be a tough team to beat over the remainder of the season. The Renegades began well but have been pulled back in recent matches.
Melbourne Renegades
The Melbourne Renegades opened up their season with three successive wins but they have now levelled up their ledger with three straight defeats. Those three defeats have come against the Hobart Hurricanes, who most judges feel should be doing a lot better than they are, and the Sydney Sixers who are one of the best teams in the history of the competition so there shouldn’t be a massive panic yet but concerns are advised.
The big problem in the three losses have been their batting. They have put up totals of 114, 115 and 124/7 and you are not going to win matches in this competition with those scores barring something extreme. In the last game they can be forgiven because that pitch in Geelong has been a shambles all summer but even allowing for that there are good players in the Renegades batting so it should be doing better. The good thing is their bowlers are staying competitive.
Perth Scorchers
The Perth Scorchers took a little while coming out of the traps to build up to top speed but even though they have played the fewer number of games of anyone in the top six of the table, they are sat on top of it and have the chance to extend their lead here. The only concern you would really have over Perth is the constant travelling they have to do but it hasn’t got to them in the past and there is nothing to suggest it will here either.
The Scorchers always look so good because their bowling unit is so useful. That unit will need to be changed here with Ashton Agar having left to join up with the Test squad. It will be interesting to see who provides the spin option but he is also a handy batter down at seven which often gives the top order the freedom to express themselves knowing there is so much to call upon should they get into trouble. Their approach in this one could be interesting.
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Key Players
Shaun Marsh has looked really good in the two games he has played in the tournament and now the Melbourne Renegades will be hoping that he can convert a start into a really big score against his former side to set the home team up.
Ashton Turner is rounding into form at the right time with the bat for the Perth Scorchers and it might be that his spin bowling has to come to the party here in the absence of Agar so the Scorchers captain could be a key man.
Betting
The Melbourne Renegades haven’t delivered the good with the bat in the last three matches but the last two pitches weren’t the easiest to bat on so I’m going to give their class acts with the bat the benefit of the doubt and trust them to deliver a better batting performance here. There are no such question marks over the form of the Perth Scorchers batting but on what was a really good Marvel wicket in the only other match here I think we can see something of a high scoring match.
The boundaries line for this match is 33.5 at Bet365 and that feels on the low side should the Melbourne Renegades batting come to the party. These aren’t the biggest boundaries to find in the world and the pitch here last time out was very good. We have the likes of Martin Guptill, Nic Maddinson, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh in the top four for the Renegades and a couple of hitters further down the order. Perth aren’t shy of batting either so I like the over here.
Tips
Back Over 33.5 boundaries for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
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