A crushing loss to the Renegades in the Melbourne derby has left the Melbourne Stars last on the table and desperate to get back on the winners list.

The green machine will take on the Sydney Sixers in a Friday night BBL12 blockbuster at the MCG, as they fight to keep their season alive.

Draftstars have put up a huge $25,000 contest for this one, as well as some Qualifier contests to suit every budget.

Stars Squad: Adam Zampa (c), Trent Boult (NZ), Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (ENG), Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Tom O’Connell, Tom Rogers, James Seymour, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Luke Wood (ENG)

Sixers Squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Chris Jordan (ENG), Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed (AFG), Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince (ENG)
 

The Stars are officially in crisis mode, with just two wins from seven matches.

BBL12 was always going to be a challenging campaign without star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, however few anticipated that the Stars would perform this poorly.

English imports Luke Wood (13 wickets) and Joe Clarke (232 runs) can hold their heads high, but the rest of the squad needs to lift if Melbourne are any chance of pushing for a finals berth.

Fans will be looking to Aussie internationals Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis to lead by example – the pair have been far from their best so far this season.

On the other hand, the Sixers are sitting pretty in third after a strong run of form.

As we’ve come to expect from the men in magenta, it’s been the bowlers who have done the damage – Hayden Kerr (11 wickets) and Sean Abbott (10 wickets) have both struck regularly while Jackson Bird and Steve O’Keeffe have supported them well.

On the batting front, Jordan Silk (182 runs) has been a vital cog in the middle order, dictating the tempo after James Vince (167 runs) and Josh Phillipe (160 runs) do the business in the power play.

Expect the Sixers to land in Melbourne with plenty of confidence, ready to further their claim for title favouritism.

Stars v Sixers Fantasy Plays

Love It – Luke Wood ($14,400)

Wood has enjoyed a fruitful first season with the Stars, having taken 13 wickets in seven matches. The English quick has particularly enjoyed playing in familiar conditions – he has averaged 92 DFS points in home games compared to 17 away. Therefore, he is great value for Friday night’s game at the MCG.

Love It – Jordan Silk ($9,800)

Despite averaging over 44 DFS points in BBL12, Silk can still be selected for sub-$10k in Draftstars. The classy middle order batsman has been afforded plenty of opportunities by Sydney’s shaky batting line-up, so you can’t knock his role. Furthermore, he has great hands in the field, so catch points are always up for grabs.

Don’t Love It – Josh Phillipe ($19,200)

Like Wood, Phillipe has displayed far better form at home this season. On the road, Phillipe has failed to clear 45 points, and as the second top-priced player on this slate that is unacceptable. While I love Phillipe as a player, I think he is a high-risk play on Friday.

Don’t Love It – Campbell Kellaway ($8,800)

Young Kellaway is one of the top talents in Australian cricket. However, his role for the Stars so far hasn’t set him up for DFS stardom. Batting at 7, Kellaway has produced just one score over 14 DFS points, and his ceiling is seriously limited. I’m looking elsewhere for value.

Who Knows – Marcus Stoinis ($19,300)

Stoinis was back… and then he wasn’t. After smashing 74 against the Strikers, Stoinis was dismissed cheaply in the Melbourne derby, his fifth failure in six innings. The big man has also struggled with the ball in BBL12, taking just two wickets. However, he is a proven heavyweight of this competition, so plenty will back him against the Sixers.

Suggested Draftstars Line-Up

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