Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes, BBL T20 2022, Today Match Prediction 18 January 2023

prs vs hbh Match Prediction & Analysis

Four times BBL winner Perth Scorchers will take on Hobart Hurricanes in the 46th game of the ongoing season. The 46th match is scheduled to take place on 18th January at Perth Stadium from 2:10 pm onwards. With 16 points in 11 games, Perth Scorchers are on the verge of their third consecutive knockout qualification. But it won’t be an easy walk for the defending champions as they have suffered a defeat against the Hurricanes in the early stages of the League.

After a thumping 9-wicket victory over Sydney Sixers, the Scorchers suffered a 6-run defeat against Sydney Sixers in the last game. Batting first, Sixers set a target of 152 runs for the Scorchers. Despite opener Stephen Eskinazi’s unbeaten 66 runs off 54, the Scorchers fell short of 6 runs in the chase. With just 36 runs needed in the last 4 overs, Scorchers scored 29 runs to suffer the third defeat of the season.

Hobart Hurricanes kept their qualification hopes alive after registering back-to-back victories against Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder. Nathan Ellis's Hat-trick restricted Sydney Thunder to 131 in the first innings. Chasing an easy target, Hurricanes lost 3 early wickets. But Tim David turned the tables in favor of the Hurricanes with unbeaten 76 runs off 41 balls. The innings included 5 fours and 6 sixes. 

Scorchers met Hurricanes in the 8th match of this season. Batting first, Hurricanes scored 172 runs with the help of Matthew Wade’s half-century. Josh Inglis scored 62 runs off 37 deliveries in return. But Patrick Dooley’s 4 wickets for 16 runs were enough for the Hurricanes to win the game by 8 runs. This was Hurricanes' first win against Scorchers in the last 5 games.

While Scorchers are just a win away from the Knockout round, Hurricanes need at least 2 wins in the remaining 4 games.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Perth Scorchers Preview

Perth Scorchers have been dominating others throughout the season. With Faf du Plessis leaving the tournament in the middle and Adam Lyth benched, both openers Cameron Bancroft and Stephen Eskinazi have lived up to the expectations. While Cameroon has scored 186 runs in 6 innings with two half-centuries, Eskinazi has 118 runs in 4 games. The chances of both of them scoring 30+ runs are higher than ever.

Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis in the middle have given the required stability to the Scorchers' innings this season. Inglis is Schorchers’ leading run scorer with 324 runs at a strike rate of 154.28. He is our top choice for the best batter for the game. On the other hand, Hardie has 279 runs in 10 innings with 3 half-centuries. With skipper Ashton Turner at number 5 with 240 runs at a strike rate of 150.94, it will be difficult for Hurricanes to restrict the run flow.

The Scorchers' pace attack is at the helm, with Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, and Jhye Richardson taking 51 wickets. Andrew Tye is currently leading the highest wicket-taker chart with 20 wickets at an economy of 7.79. Leg spinner Peter Hatzoglou will lead the spin attack. Hatzoglou played a key role by taking two wickets against Sydney Sixers.

Key Players: Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis, Andrew Tye.

Perth Scorchers Predicted Playing XI:

Stephen Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Turner (c), Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, David Payne, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou

Perth Scorchers Actual Playing XI:

Andrew Tye, Ashton Agar, Nick Hobson, Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris, Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Matthew Kelly, Stephen Eskinazi, Aaron Hardie

Hobart Hurricanes Preview

The Hurricanes are currently on the two matches winning streak. They beat Melbourne Stars by 2 wickets, followed by a victory over Sydney Thunder by 5 wickets. Addition of Caleb Jewell and now Zack Crawley has worked in favor of the Hurricanes at the top. Jewell has 239 runs in 7 innings at a strike rate of 162.58. He also has 3 half-centuries. He is our choice for the best batter.

In the middle with Tim David, Matthew Wade is having a good run with the bat. David is the Hurricanes’ leading run-scorer with 262 runs at a strike rate of 162.73 - most among the Hurricanes’ batters. But out of form, Asif Ali and Faheem Ashraf might put Hurricanes in trouble if the top order collapses. Jimmy Nisham is unavailable, and Shadab Khan, suffering from an injury, has left Hurricanes with no options but to continue with Ali and Ashraf.

Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, and Peter Dooley will lead the bowling attack. Nathan Ellis was the key difference in the Hurricanes' last two wins. Ellis gave just 12 runs in four overs, claiming two wickets against Melbourne Stars, and took 4 wickets in the final game against Sydney Thunder, including a Hat-trick. Dooley is the Hurricanes’ leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets. In addition to that, his economy is just 6.24 - A worrying cause for Scorchers.

Key Players: Caleb Jewell, Nathan Ellis, Patrick Dooley.

Hobart Hurricanes Predicted Playing XI:

Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Matthew Wade (c & wk), Zak Crawley, Tim David, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Andrews, Patrick Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith

Hobart Hurricanes Actual Playing XI:

Timothy David, Paddy Dooley, Zak Crawley, Riley Meredith, Faheem Ashraf, Nathan Ellis, Tom Andrews, Matthew Wade, D'Arcy Short, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will be partly cloudy. The temperature will range between 20 and 31°C. The wind will be flowing from the west at 25-40 kmh. The pitch is considered good for batting in the second innings. For pacers, it offers a high bounce and swings at earlier stages. The wind will help bowlers swing the ball both ways.

Venue Details

The 46th T20 will be held at The Perth Stadium on 18th January from 2:10 pm IST. The venue holds a capacity of 60000 spectators and has hosted 3 Tests, 5 ODIs, 7 T20Is, and many BBL games so far. 

Toss: To Bowl

In the 5 BBL games played at The Perth Stadium, the results have favored the team chasing the target 4 times. The only time the target has been defended by the Perth Scorchers. The team winning the toss should bowl first.