The opening match of the new Big Bash League 2022-23 season comes from the Manuka Oval in Canberra as the Sydney Thunder and the Melbourne Stars get their campaigns underway in what should be a good match.
Both these teams will be under new captaincy this season with Jason Sandhu and Adam Zampa taking over their franchises for the campaign and all eyes will be on them to see how they get on leading a side in this extremely intense format.
Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder finished third in the regular season last term but couldn’t use that position to get their hands on the trophy so you would imagine they will be fuelled by that and will come out with an intensity that they mean business here. The Thunder did some good work in the draft and off season but they probably wouldn’t have wanted to lose Sam Billings. Keeping Alex Hales and adding Rilee Rossouw to the team looks good business after their efforts at the T20 World Cup.
This Sydney side looks full of runs and it will know it has Dave Warner to come into the fold later in the competition. If they can put up a fair number of runs then they will be confident of having success this season because they have put together a decent bowling attack through the years. The slight concern over the Thunder here is the inexperience of their captain but Trevor Bayliss tends to give his charges simple messages which should help.
Melbourne Stars
The Melbourne Stars were so inconsistent last season that they didn’t even make the playoffs and so their immediate aim will be to rectify that and at the very least make the top five this term. They are another team who have done some good work in the off-season but there is no hiding away from the fact that they haven’t been helped by the injury to Glenn Maxwell. He isn’t just a huge part of their unit but he is their captain so that isn’t ideal.
Adam Zampa has been around long enough to deserve a go at captaincy but you never really know how a player is going to go as the main cheese until he does it, especially in this format. The Stars look like they might be a batter light in the absence of Maxwell so they are going to need their overseas bowling contingent to come to the party. If they do that then one or two batters might be able to deliver the sort of cameo which keeps them competitive.
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Key Players
Alex Hales had a brilliant T20 World Cup as England went on to win the tournament and the Sydney Thunder could really do with him navigating the early part of the innings and getting after the overseas bowlers of the Stars.
One of those bowlers is a former teammate of Hales in Luke Wood. We saw in The Hundred last season that the now Lancashire seamer has some real pace about him and he should like conditions here. If he can rip out Hales and/or Rossouw the Stars will be on top.
Betting
This early in the season I am going to ride the bowling units, both of which are pretty good and especially with the new ball. I always think that is important because a team can make life a lot easier for themselves if they are able to take wickets up front. These Australian sides tend to top load their orders so if the new ball bowlers can get stuck in then it blows plans up in smoke and you often see Big Bash teams going nowhere as a result.
Potential new ball bowlers in this match include Gurinder Sandhu, Daniel Sams and Fazalhaq Farooqi for the home side while Trent Boult, Luke Wood, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Marcus Stoinis could potentially take it for the Melbourne Stars. That is seven international bowlers coming in hard. Manuka isn’t the smallest ground doing the rounds and the boundaries can take some getting here. I think 37.5 might be a couple too high for this match. I like the under here.
Tips
Back Under 37.5 boundaries for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
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