Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, BBL T20 2022, Today Match Prediction 16 January 2023

mls vs brh Match Prediction & Analysis

Adam Zampa will be disappointed with how things turned out in the last game against the Renegades. Melbourne Stars were on their way to victory right until the 19th over with just 15 needed off 12 balls. 

To lose the game from there will not be easy to come to terms with for the Stars. MLS dominated Strikers in their last game at the MCG where an unbeaten fifty from Thomas Rogers led Melbourne Stars to a 9-wicket win.

As Brisbane Heat comes to the ‘G, Zampa would expect his team to quickly bounce back and correct their mistakes from the last game. Teams batting first and second have won two games each at this venue in BBL this season.

Even a 170+ target can be chased down successfully as Sydney Sixers did the other night against Stars. Even with Khawaja and Labuschagne back in the side, Brisbane Heat haven’t managed to put competitive totals on the board.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Melbourne Stars Preview

The Stars have been quite inconsistent lately with their batting. The batting strength lies in the top 4 of the lineup. And if the batters don’t fire at the top, the Stars are looking at yet another failure to reach a competitive total.

Thomas Rogers, Joe Clarke, and Hilton Cartwright will be the key players for MLS in this home game. Beau Webster and Nick Larkin have big roles to play in the middle order.

The last time Stars played here, it was Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, and Zampa who dominated with the ball as they bowled out the Strikers for just 108 runs.

The bowlers continued their form in the next game as they restricted Renegades to 162 runs, bowling first at the Docklands Stadium. All hopes will rest with the bowling attack in this game as well.

Zampa would be hoping his bowlers continue their form and make the most of the home conditions against a struggling Brisbane batting lineup. Just like the last game, Zampa would likely choose to bowl first again here given how the teams batting second have won slightly more matches at the MCG.

Not just that, but it would be a better thing to rely on a consistent bowling attack to put the opposition on the back foot. This would give the batters some time to assess the conditions and also show faith in them as the skipper opts to chase once again.

Melbourne Stars Predicted Playing XI:

Joe Clarke (wk), Thomas Rogers, Hilton Cartwright, Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, James Seymour, Clint Hinchliffe, Luke Wood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa (c)

Melbourne Stars Actual Playing XI:

Nathan Coulter-Nile, Luke Wood, Hilton Cartwright, Clint Hinchliffe, Adam Zampa, Nick Larkin, Joe Clarke, James Seymour, Thomas Fraser Rogers, BJ Webster, Liam Hatcher

Brisbane Heat Preview

It will not be an exaggeration to say that Brisbane Heat have missed Chris Lynn this season. 

After a long partnership between Lynn and Heat ended, the batter continued playing his best for another franchise while Brisbane Heat have seen a huge dip in the quality of their performances.

Though big names like Labuschagne and Khawaja are back in the side after their national duty, they didn’t seem to make much of an impact. Labuschagne did find his touch in the last game though.

He scored 46 off 33 balls at number 3 which was significant. Brisbane need their key players to strike major partnerships and take the team to a competitive total. A top score of 46 from their batting lineup could only take them so far. Brisbane Heat were bowled out for 154 runs against Strikers.

They had lost their previous match defending a total of 155 runs at home. If it wasn’t for the top-quality bowling from Kuhnemann, Bazley, and Swepson, Brisbane would have lost that game on 9 out of 10 occasions. 

That bowling performance from Heat was definitely inspiring and would give them some confidence as they come to MCG.

Josh Brown, Matt Renshaw, and Sam Hain are other key batters in this setup who need to step up and deliver. The batting lineup is deep with Pierson and Bazley in at 6 and 7 followed by Neser who is also capable of playing a quickfire knock.

Brisbane Heat Predicted Playing XI:

Usman Khawaja (c), Josh Brown, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Sam Hain, Jimmy Peirson (wk), James Bazley, Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann

Brisbane Heat Actual Playing XI:

Michael Neser, Josh Brown, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Kuhnemann, Matt Renshaw, James Bazley, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Jimmy Peirson, Mitchell Swepson, Sam Hain

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the MCG is one of the most competitive ones in Australia. It offers a good balance between bat and ball and offers pace and bounce for the new-ball bowlers. The weather is expected to be partly cloudy on the match day with a high of 28 degrees Celsius.

Venue Details

MCG has hosted some of the most iconic cricket matches including some close encounters in the recent T20 World Cup. The spinners will not have much on offer here and the team batting second will have an advantage in a night game. The average 1st innings score at this venue in BBL is 160 runs. A 180+ total would be a competitive one for the team batting first.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams bowling first have won 12 of the 22 T20Is and 34 of the 64 domestic T20s played at the MCG. Both these teams lack reliable batters in the lineup who can set up a competitive total on this ground. It is more likely that they’d be comfortable putting the opposition to bat first.