Adelaide Strikers Women vs Sydney Thunder Women, WOMENS BIG BASH LEAGUE 2019-20, Today Match Prediction 24 Nov 2019

adsw vs sytw Match Prediction & Analysis

A team that has already qualified for the semi-finals vs a team that is trying to do the same but have put themselves in a muddle recently. In short, this is how the campaigns of Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder can be explained.

On Saturday, Strikers qualified for the semis in a thrilling manner as Hobart Hurricanes fell short by a mere two runs. After posting a somewhat under-par 143 on the board, Strikers looked comfortable for the most part in the 2nd inning but big-hitting South African Chloe Tryon almost pulled off a stunning win. However, Sarah Coyte kept her calm in the final over when Hobart required 11 runs to help her side go away with 2 points.

Meanwhile, Sydney Thunder's last loss was against Adelaide Strikers itself. In that match, Sydney Thunder couldn’t post a defendable total on what was admittedly a tough track to bat on in Wollongong. In the chase, Adelaide Strikers too found it tough but a gritty knock from star player Sophie Devine took the side home with five balls to spare. This loss against Adelaide Strikers became the 5th loss for Sydney Thunder in five games as their campaign has lost steam after an impressive start.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Adelaide Strikers Women Preview

Everything is going well for the Adelaide Strikers. They have players who are in good form, held their nerve to pull off some close wins and if that wasn’t enough skipper Suzie Bates struck a timely fifty against Hobart Hurricanes. The knock was not only important for her from a personal point of view but also key for Adelaide Strikers as the batting line-up wasn’t at it’s best. With just 221 runs in 10 matches, Bates was just under a little bit of pressure to deliver and that is exactly what she did with the 64-run knock.

With a decent total on the board, Strikers showed why they have been regarded as having one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament by strangling Hobart Hurricanes' top-order. Amanda-Jade Wellington was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets while Sophie Devine and Sarah Coyte came up with economical spells.

Adelaide Strikers Women Predicted Playing XI:

Suzie Bates (C), Sophie Devine Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Lauren Winfield, Katie Mack, Tegan McPharlin (WK), Amanda-Jade Wellington, Sarah Coyte, Alex Price, Megan Schutt

Adelaide Strikers Women Actual Playing XI:

Megan Schutt, Alex Price, Lauren Winfield, Amanda Jade Wellington, Bridget Patterson, Tegan McPharlin, Sophie Devine, Katie Mack, Tahlia McGrath, Suzie Bates, Sarah Coyte

Sydney Thunder Women Preview

On the other hand, nothing has gone right for Sydney Thunder with five losses on the bounce and the only reason for that is their disappointing efforts with the bat in hand. The highest team total for the Sydney Thunder in the last five games has been 144 and even that came in a 7-run loss against Perth Scorchers. While Sydney Thunder lost the last match against Adelaide Strikers, a small positive might have been found in the form of Rachel Haynes' impressive 33-run knock. Haynes had been the most disappointing batter for Sydney Thunder while both Rachel Priest and Alex Blackwell's has dipped considerably after starting the season on a good note. It says something that Thunder's disappointing performances have mirrored Priest and Blackwell's poor showings.

With the ball, Thunder will always be competitive as the likes of Nida Dar, Shabnim Ismail, Hannah Darlington, and Samantha Bates have formed a very good core. Dar leads the pack with 12 wickets while the other three have 10 scalps to their name.

Sydney Thunder Women Predicted Playing XI:

Rachel Priest (WK), Alex Blackwell, Rachel Haynes (C), Tahlia Wilson, Phoebe Litchfield, Nida Dar, Hannah Darlington, Rene Farrell, Lisa Griffith, Shabnim Ismail, Samantha Bates

Sydney Thunder Women Actual Playing XI:

Naomi Stalenberg, Rachel Trenaman, Phoebe Litchfield, Shabnim Ismail, Hannah Darlington, Lisa Griffith, Nida Dar, Rachel Priest, Alex Blackwell, Sam Bates, Rachael Haynes

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Bellerive Oval has been decent till now. It has not been very difficult to bat but there is enough purchase for the spinners due it’s slow nature. Amelia Kerr and Amanda-Jade Wellington have already picked three wickets haul at this venue. With respect to the weather, it is expected to be cloudy but there is no chance for rain.

Venue Details

The Bellerive Oval is a pretty popular and well-known ground in Hobart. With short square boundaries, it is a pretty high-scoring ground but this season might be a bit different. Interestingly, last season, Sydney Thunder beat Adelaide Strikers by a comfortable 6-wicket margin at the Bellerive Oval. Spinners Stafanie Taylor and Maisy Gibson strangled the Strikers batters while Rachel Priest came up with a superb half-century.

Toss: To Bat

With the pitch expected to gradually slow down, it might not be a bad decision to bat first. Also, both the matches at this venue so far have seen teams batting first defending their total, albeit by very close margins.