Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Renegades, Big Bash League 2020-21, Today Match Prediction 14 Jan 2021

brh vs mlr Match Prediction & Analysis

Brisbane Heat haven’t had the best of seasons in the ongoing Big Bash League and are currently placed 6th on the table with 16 points from 9 games. They have just won 4 matches and lost 5 but still have an opportunity to make it to the last 4 if they finish their remaining games well. Brisbane has a good chance to get some points on the board as they take on the bottom-ranked Melbourne Renegades next. The Renegades are all but dusted for this season but can still become party-poopers for many teams. But for now, Brisbane will certainly have an edge in this match.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Brisbane Heat Preview

Brisbane Heat have shown patches of brilliance this season but have not been consistent enough. They lost 3 games in a row initially and then came back to win 3 consecutive matches. However, their streak was ended in their last match when Sydney Sixers beat them by 3 wickets. After being put in to bat first, Brisbane could only manage 148 on the board and despite putting up a spirited bowling performance they lost on the very last ball of the match. 

For Brisbane, captain Chris Lynn with 223 runs and fellow opener Max Bryant with 220 runs have been the leading run-getters of the season. Lynn has been in superb form of late and is fresh off a 56 off 44 balls against the Sixers in the last game. A lot will depend on how these two perform. The other batsmen to watch out for will be Lewis Gregory and Jimmy Peirson who have done a decent job in the lower middle order.

Spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be playing his last game of the season for Brisbane Heat as he will leave for international duties after that. He has been their second-best bowler and would be looking to end the season on a high. The team would also rely on Jack Wildermuth, Xavier Bartlett, and Xavier Bartlett to deliver the goods.
 

Brisbane Heat Predicted Playing XI:

Max Bryant, Chris Lynn (c), Joe Denly, Joe Burns, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Lewis Gregory, James Bazley, Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Brisbane Heat Actual Playing XI:

James Bazley, Lewis Gregory, Joe Burns, Jimmy Peirson, Xavier Bartlett, Joe Denly, Mark Steketee, Max Bryant, Jack Wildermuth, Matthew Kuhnemann, Chris Lynn

Melbourne Renegades Preview

After losing 7 matches in a row, Melbourne Renegades finally managed to end their losing streak courtesy of a special performance from Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi (71* off 41 balls) against Adelaide Strikers. Chasing a target of 178, it was Nabi’s blitzkrieg that helped the Renegades cross the line. Unfortunately, Nabi has played his final game for the Melbourne Renegades on Friday as he will leave for international duties now which will dent the team. 

Moreover, it is unclear if Shaun Marsh, who had left for personal reasons, will be rejoining the team before the game. The onus will now be on the likes of Aaron Finch, Sam Harper, Jake Fraser-McGurk to take some responsibility. Their batting does look a little brittle, and that may be exploited by the opposition.

The Renegades have some fine bowling options in Kane Richardson (12 wickets in the season) and Peter Hatzoglou (10 wickets). But the problem is that they have been quite expensive. Spinner Imad Wasim has done a good job of bowling economical spells and would need to continue that.
 

Melbourne Renegades Predicted Playing XI:

Aaron Finch (c), Mackenzie Harvey, Sam Harper (wk), Beau Webster, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Will Sutherland, Imad Wasim, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Peter Hatzoglou, Noor Ahmad

Melbourne Renegades Actual Playing XI:

Aaron Finch, Jack Prestwidge, Sam Harper, Noor Ahmad, Mackenzie Harvey, SI Wasim, Shaun Marsh, KW Richardson, Jake Fraser McGurk, Peter Hatzoglou, BJ Webster

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Manuka Oval in Canberra has remained pretty good throughout the season. It’s a great pitch to bat on generally as the ball comes on nicely to the bat for the most part. Towards the second half of the game, slower bowlers do find some purchase, and spinners might have a role to play.

The weather forecast at Canberra for the day of the game is clear and we should get a full match. 
 

Venue Details

In the last two matches played at the Manuka Oval in Canberra in BBL 10, the team batting first achieved totals of 200-plus with 219-7 by Sydney Thunder being the highest one of the season. This does give an indication that this is a high-scoring ground and the team batting first would look to score at least 180-190 runs on the board.

Toss: To Bat

The team winning the toss is likely to bat first as chasing a target hasn’t always been easy on this wicket and some tall totals have been achieved after taking the first strike.