Sydney Sixers (ol) vs Melbourne Renegades, Big Bash League 2020-21, Today Match Prediction 13 Dec 2020

sys vs mlr Match Prediction & Analysis

It is the 6th game in the Big Bash League 2020-21 and the Sydney Sixers would be up against the Melbourne Renegades. The Sixers have started the season with a loss against the Hobart Hurricanes in their opening game and this would put them under pressure here. As for the Melbourne Renegades they come into this contest with a comprehensive win over the Perth Scorchers. 

The Sydney Sixers looked rusty in the last game as most of their players weren’t up to the challenge. Their bowlers were all over the place which becomes a huge challenge for them going into this game. The Renegades look in the right frame of mind for now with a big win. Sixers aren’t going to make it easy for their opponents and we expect to see good action from Bellerive Oval.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Sydney Sixers (ol) Preview

Daniel Hughes who is the stand-in captain for the side would be upset after his side’s loss to the Hobart Hurricanes in the season opener. They had the game in their bag but a batting collapse saw them go down by 16 runs in the game. Hughes would press hard for a win to avoid pressure on the points table going ahead into the season. 

Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards form a strong opening pair and they would look to provide a good start. Philippe who missed out in the last game would look for a better performance here. James Vince looks in good form at the moment. But the side would need better efforts from Hughes, Carlos Brathwaite, Jordan Silk and Daniel Christian who were unable to take the side over the finishing line in the last game. 

Ben Manenti and Ben Dwarshuis will need to start off well with the new ball as they didn’t offer the right start to the side in the last game. Gurinder Sandhu and Carlos Brathwaite were expensive as well and need to bowl well here in this game. Christian and Steve O’Keefe have lot of experience in this format and they must put it to good use against Renegades which looks in great form. 

Sydney Sixers (ol) Predicted Playing XI:

Daniel Hughes (c), Josh Philippe (wk), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Manenti, Gurinder Sandhu

Sydney Sixers (ol) Actual Playing XI:

Jack Edwards, James Vince, Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes, Steve O'Keefe, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Jordan Silk, Gurinder Sandhu, DT Christian, Benjamin Manenti

Melbourne Renegades Preview

Aaron Finch would be extremely happy with the start his side has got this season after the disaster last year. In a one-sided game they went past the Perth Scorchers by 7 wickets. It was an impressive show from their bowlers and their top order. Finch would look for a similar show here having lost both their games against Sydney Sixers last season. 

The opening pair of Shaun Marsh and Finch played well in the last game to make it an easy run chase and they would look for a similar start here. In Sam Harper, Rilee Rossouw and Beau Webster the middle order looks good though they weren’t exposed much in the last game. Jake Fraser-McGurk and Benny Howell with their big hitting abilities make it a strong batting line-up down the order. 

Kane Richardson and Josh Lalor would be happy with their performance in the last game and being the most experienced bowlers in the squad they would be aiming for a similar show here. Peter Hatzoglou, Howell and Webster also bowled well in the last game. Jack Prestwidge who went for runs would look to tighten his line and makes the bowling attack strong going into this contest. 

Melbourne Renegades Predicted Playing XI:

Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper (wk), Rilee Rossouw, Beau Webster, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Benny Howell, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Josh Lalor, Peter Hatzoglou

Melbourne Renegades Actual Playing XI:

RR Rossouw, Aaron Finch, Josh Lalor, Sam Harper, Benny Howell, Shaun Marsh, KW Richardson, Jake Fraser McGurk, Jon Holland, Peter hatzoglou, BJ Webster

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The skies over Hobart would be partially cloudy on December 13 and this might offer early assistance to the bowlers. The pitch has something in it for the bowlers and the batsmen need to be careful while playing their strokes. A score of 160 runs or more would be a good total here that can be defended with good bowling.

Venue Details

Bellerive Oval, Hobart is a small venue compared to the large grounds in Australia. The short boundaries around the square create scoring opportunities for the batsmen. There is early movement off the surface for the fast bowlers. Given the dimensions of the ground it can be a tough wicket to bowl on.

Toss: To Bowl

The pitch looked a good one to bat on in the two games that was played and setting up a score on this track would be a challenge. Bowling first is seen as a safer option these days in T20 cricket and hence we believe the side that wins the toss is likely to opt for bowling first here.