The first Melbourne Derby of BBL|15 takes center stage at the MCG this Sunday. This high-stakes clash features two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum: the Melbourne Stars, who are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season, and the Melbourne Renegades, who are desperate to snap a three-match losing streak and keep their season alive.
Team analysis
Melbourne Stars
The Stars saw their four-match unbeaten streak snapped by the Brisbane Heat on Friday. Despite a massive total of 195, their death bowling faltered in the final overs. However, they remain at the top of the ladder and boast a highly settled lineup. Sam Harper and Marcus Stoinis have been in sublime form, while Glenn Maxwell remains the league’s most dangerous middle-order threat. Haris Rauf and Peter Siddle provide veteran stability, though they will be looking to tighten up after conceding heavy runs in their last outing.
Melbourne Renegades
The Renegades are struggling for consistency, particularly in their batting department. With only one win from four matches, they are currently languishing near the bottom of the table. Much depends on the explosive pair of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Josh Brown. If they can survive the powerplay, the Renegades can post a match-winning total. Young batter Harry Dixon returns to the squad, and spinner Callum Stow could make his debut to bolster a bowling unit led by Adam Zampa and Jason Behrendorff.
MS vs MR, BBL|15: Match details
- Date and Time: January 04; 12:35 pm IST / 7:05 am GMT / 6:05 pm Local
- Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
MS vs MR, Head-to-Head Record in BBL
Matches played: 28 | Melbourne Stars won: 18 | Melbourne Renegades won: 10 | No result/Tied: 0
Melbourne Cricket Ground Pitch Report
The MCG pitch for this derby is expected to be a significantly more “batter-friendly” surface than the green top seen during the recent two-day Boxing Day Test. Batters will still need to contend with the ground’s massive square boundaries, which make clearing the rope a challenge and prioritize hard running between the wickets. However, the true bounce should allow for high-scoring powerplays, while the large dimensions will provide spinners like Zampa plenty of protection to toss the ball up. Expect a balanced contest with the captain winning the toss likely opting to bowl first.
Squads:
Melbourne Stars: Thomas Fraser Rogers, Joe Clarke, Sam Harper (wk), Marcus Stoinis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran, Liam Hatcher, Haris Rauf, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Swepson, Aryan Sharma, Jonathan Merlo, Campbell Kellaway
Melbourne Renegades: Josh Brown, Tim Seifert, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Oliver Peake, Hassan Khan, Will Sutherland (c), Andrew Tye, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Behrendorff, Sam Elliott, Adam Zampa, Caleb Jewell, Fergus O Neill, Matthew Spoors
MS vs MR, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Melbourne Stars wins the toss and bowls first
- Melbourne Renegades’ powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
- Melbourne Renegades’ total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- Melbourne Renegades wins the toss and bowls first
- Melbourne Stars’ powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
- Melbourne Stars’ total score: 160-170
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
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