Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes
Wednesday, 08:50, Live on Sky Sports
Stars left to rue missed opportunities
The Stars are out. No play-off spot for them. The Renegades losing (the manner of which is described below) to the Hurricanes made sure of that.
When you look at their players, it almost doesn’t seem possible.
Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa were all key players for Australia at the T20 World Cup, which they won.
They had the great Andre Russell for five matches, Joe Clarke is excellent in this format, we could go on.
Then again, they were a bit unfortunate with injuries and suffered from Covid withdrawals more than most. But still.
Maybe they really are destined top never win this competition.
The only other side never to have won the BBL? The Hurricanes.
Stars Likely XI:
Stoinis, Maxwell, Clarke, Cartwright, Larkin, Burns, Webster, Coulter-Nile, Rainbird, Zampa
Hurricanes fortunate to be in the play-offs
The Hurricanes can thank their lucky stars that the Renegades really are a poor side.
The Canes posted a pretty decent total against them with Mathew Wade and Tim David in particular playing good knocks.
But a combination of poor bowling and some excellent batting from Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, put the Renegades in a winning position.
But Marsh got out at just the wrong time, then Finch did, and that was that. The Hobart side won by six runs.
They’re now guaranteed a Playoff spot, it could be fourth or fifth and in a highly unlikely scenario, they could still finish third.
Hurricanes’ Likely XI:
McDermott, Jewell, Wade, Short, David, Thompson, Handscomb, Rogers, Kann, Meredith, Lamichhane.
Venue and conditions
149, 139 and 139.
These were the last three first innings scores posted here at the MCG.
The first was by the Heat, the second by the Strikers and the third by the Thunder. All three were chased pretty easily, two of them by the Stars themselves.
So, what do we make of it all? Hard to say other than the three sides having first digs clearly didn’t score enough, or else those scores wouldn’t have been so easily chased.
So, you’d think 165 should be manageable batting first but the advantage should lie with the chasing side.
The Sportsbook layers make the Stars slight 8/11 favourites. Interesting that.
After all, they’ve just had a really poor campaign, can’t make the Playoffs and have nothing to play for other than pride.
In the opposite corner is a team who have been inconsistent, yes. But also one who racked up five more points than the Stars, are into the Playoffs and still have plenty to play for. Including wishing to carry momentum from a win into their knockout match.
Maybe the reason for those odds has to do with the head-to-head record between these two: the Stars are 10-6 up. But then again, the Hurricanes won pretty comfortably when they played this year on Christmas Eve.
If pushed, I’d still slightly favour the Hurricanes but we can find better bets.
Tim David has actually had a somewhat disappointing tournament. Having played so well over the last year or so in T20 tournaments around the world, he’s averaging just 26 in this year’s BBL. He hasn’t got to fifty yet although on the other hand, his strike rate of 164 is superb.
But maybe the Hurricanes haven’t given him enough of a chance. There’s no reason why he should bat any lower than five yet he’s often come in at six. Proof of the fact they haven’t made the most of him is that he has five not outs.
He was brilliant last time out, his 46 off 20 in my view, the difference between the sides.
He fell two runs short of Matthew Wade’s total.
He’s due a promotion and at 7/1, he’s worth a small interest.
If David has had a quiet tournament, D’Arcy Short has had a strange one.
He hasn’t been opening but instead bating at four, a very unfamiliar role for him. But he’s still been decent, averaging 31. I felt he was overpriced last time out for top bat and like David, threatened to get past Wade’s 48 with a well-made 37.
What he has done is bowl well. He’s taken ‘just’ five wickets in 13 games but his economy rate has been good at 7.44.
A strong all-round contribution could catch the eye of the judges for man-of-the-match.
And with the Hurricanes preferred as possible winners, the 12/1 is a decent price.