More Double Header returns on Saturday night starting with Match 8 in Sydney between the undefeated Sixers taking on the Hurricanes. These two teams played in Launceston on Wednesday night which the Sixers grounded out the win defending a small total. With Ashes Test match continuing on Saturday, we have another bumper day of cricket! Let’s get into some of the Big Bash action.

 

Draftstars have posted a $20,000 contest for this match. Keep an eye out on the start time, scheduled for 1835 AEDT. 

 

Catch Smatho in his video preview for tonight's match including his two locks for the slate

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for Draftstars scores from previous editions from the BBL? Our Free Players Logs are now available in Data Tools

 

Sydney is expecting cloudy conditions throughout Saturday after some rough weather throughout Friday. The ground looked great on the opening night when the Sixers gave the Stars a touch up. A look back through BBL10 shows that the SCG is becoming a high scoring T20 ground. Scores include 213, 188, 181, 180, 232 and 186 going back to January this season so I am not expecting a change in scores here (unless the side batting 1st collapses).

 

The Sixers go into this match as $1.60 favourites and deservedly so as this team was able to recover from a shaky start on Wednesday. The Hurricanes were strangled from ball 1 of the chase through the economic bowling from English imports Chris Jordan & Tom Curran to go along with economic bowling from Ben Manenti and Steve O’Keefe. It may be a different story on this fast pitch, but the likely inclusion of Sean Abbott gives this bowling attack a lot of teeth. Whilst James Vince and Josh Philippe couldn’t get going in Launceston, their skipper Moises Henriques is playing exceptionally well. Back-to-back fantasy tons means that Henriques will be continued to be rostered in Draftstars teams going forward. Whether it is coming in after a big start or building an innings after some early poles, ‘Mozzie’ is the key wicket in this Sixers team. In team news Ben Dwarshuis has been included in a “18” man squad so I wouldn’t read too much into that here. UPDATE: News broke on Saturday morning that Ben Manenti is out of the tournamnent with a stress fracture in the neck. Poor fella.  

 

Likely XI: Philippe (wk), Vince, Henriques (c), Hughes, Silk, Christian, Curran, Kerr, Abbott, Jordan, O’Keefe

 

The Hurricanes were thrown some curveballs in the lead up to their opening match losing Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Scott Boland and import Jordan Thompson on game day. But I thought their bowling exceeded expectations with Nathan Ellis, Joel Paris and unlikely multiple wicket taker Thomas Rogers giving the Canes a shot. But once we saw D’Arcy Short and Matthew Wade struggle on that surface it was always going to be a rough chase. News from the Hurricanes camp is that Jordan Thompson has cleared of being a close COVID contact and comes into the 15-man squad for Jordan Cox (replacement player for Thompson). For those who do not know who Thompson is - Thompson is middle to lower order all-rounder with the ability to score at a high strike-rate and bowl middle overs with the ball. Thompson’s Vitality Blast numbers last season include 2 50’s at 167 strike rate + 34 wickets in 36 innings. Almost James Faulkner version 2.0 for the Canes. I expect Thompson to slot in place of Tom Lammonby.

 

Likely XI: Short, Wade (c,wk), Jewell, Handscomb, Thompson, Wright, David, Ellis, Rogers, Paris, Lamichhane

 

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Love It – Jordan Thompson $8,800

Let’s play the new guy at the minimum, shall we? Those are impressive England numbers for the Hurricanes recruit, and this will be the last time we can play him at this Draftstars salary. Unless we have a failure with Bat and Ball, Thompson comes with big wraps and the Hurricanes will likely give him a couple of overs through the middle overs. I am tad worried that English players bowling on Australian pitches first up and bowling too short, but we can’t ignore him here.  

 

Love It – Chris Jordan $14,900

I wouldn’t read too much into Jordan’s Game 1 when ‘SOK’ was cleaning up the Stars but Jordan bowled pretty well for an economical 4 overs 1 for 20 along with a late boundary with the bat on Wednesday. Third up here and bowling death overs is the key, although Tom Curran and Sean Abbott are around here as well. At $2,000 cheaper than Curran/Abbott, I will be considering Jordan after Manenti and Kerr received price bumps.

 

Hate It – Thomas Rogers ($9,800)

I am backing in the data here… The SCG is giving up a stack of runs and inexperience paceman look very vulnerable. Rogers fits that particular category and despite grabbing three wickets on Wednesday, I going against the cheap salary and the likely strong ownership on Rogers here. There is a reason why he doesn’t make first choice XI’s for teams.

 

Hate It – Daniel Hughes ($11,200)

Comfortable to continue fading Hughes as you can add another single digit fantasy score on his impressive run of failures for the Sixers. I am sure an innings is coming, and he is more than capable, but as a one-dimensional player he is another easy fade.

 

Who Knows – Dan Christian ($16,000)

Christian in the baby birth narrative did not work on Wednesday with 5 runs off 10 and 2 overs going for 21, but back in his own bed (albeit for small amounts of time) we may get a better performance in the all-rounder role. His batting is his strong point and he suits the friendly conditions in Sydney but who knows when DC can give us that mega score.

 

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