The second part of the double header in the Big Bash League on Thursday sees the defending champions back in action when the Perth Scorchers play host to the Melbourne Stars at the Optus Stadium.
Perth are showing signs of getting to grips with the competition this season and a win here will move them to the top of the table. The Stars haven’t really got going yet this campaign and could do with something positive to happen from this trip out west.
Perth Scorchers
The Perth Scorchers have played four matches this season and have won three of them. They probably should have won the one they lost as well so the defending champions are moving through the gears nicely. They have won their last two matches in very different circumstances and I’m always a big fan of teams who can win in different ways. I’m also a fan of teams who can turn negative situations around and come out on top.
The Scorchers showed they can demolish anyone when they took this Melbourne Stars team to the cleaners a couple of matches ago but then they showed they can hang tough and find a way to win when they overcame the Adelaide Strikers after getting themselves in a hole last time out. They were 72-6 chasing 134 but their lower order were sensible and got the job done. Those kind of victories do wonders for the confidence of a team.
Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars have played four matches as well but they have only won one of them. They should have won their opening game against the Sydney Thunder but baulked at the finish line and although they took advantage of some horrendous fielding from the Hobart Hurricanes in their second match they have since lost two matches very convincingly and are in need for a rebound before they get cut adrift from the places that matter.
The problem the Melbourne Stars have is they are in that position no team want to be in, in that they are not batting particularly well and they are not getting the job done with the ball either. In their last two bowling efforts they have gone for more than 220 and had 150 chased down for the loss of just three wickets. They need to find a way to build pressure on their opposition with the ball but also to get the opposing bowlers under pressure.
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Key Players
Ashton Turner showed why he is such an influential captain in this team when he managed the situation against the Adelaide Strikers last time out. He can play that rebuild innings and the smash it and bash it one so he is a key man for the Scorchers.
You would imagine the best way of the Melbourne Stars to keep themselves in this match will be to take early wickets and so Trent Boult could be a key man for them here. There are few better new ball bowlers in the tournament so the Stars need him to make his mark.
Betting
The Perth Scorchers have already taken the Melbourne Stars to the cleaners this season and it is hard to see a reversal in fortunes here. The Stars just look a poor side and if one or two key batters don’t come off you could see them crumpling in a heap against this standout Perth Scorchers bowling attack. Even if they do come off it might need more than that to get the Stars over the line in conditions which Perth are comfortable in and ideally suited to.
Perth have already smashed this Melbourne Stars bowling unit all around the Junction Oval in Melbourne and while they might not push on and close in on 230 here, the chances are that they won’t need that many to win this convincingly. Perth made 229/7 in that match but lost three wickets in the final over chasing as many runs as they could get so only four of the wickets were genuine. On a great batting pitch and a small ground Melbourne could only make 168 in reply. I expect to see another comfortable Perth win here.
Tips
Back Perth Scorchers (-4.5 wickets/12.5 runs) to beat Melbourne Stars for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Bet365
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