BBL 7, Match 9, Preview: Sixers look for their first win as they face Strikers at home

Sydney Sixers haven’t had a great start to their Big Bash League (BBL) 7 campaign as they find themselves in the bottom half of the table at the moment. After 2 losses in 2 games, they will be desperate for a victory tomorrow when they take on the Adelaide Strikers at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The problem for the Sixers so far in the tournament has been their batting which has not fired and as a result of that, they have not been able to put a big score on the board in either of the two games. They have batted first both times and have posted the scores of 149 and 132 respectively which is not a big ask for the opposition in the shortest format of the game.

Adelaide, on the other hand, have played just a solitary game in the tournament and have started off with a win. Under the captaincy of Travis Head, they were petty clinical in their opening game as they absolutely thumped the Perth Scorchers which is one of the best teams in the history of the BBL by 53 runs. They seem to have a balanced bowling attack and the addition of Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan leggie, has added a different dimension to it.

Focus will be on:

Daniel Sams (Sydney Sixers)

This is Sams’ first appearance in the BBL and in his debut season itself, he is catching a lot of eyeballs. He had almost dragged the Sixers over the line in the local derby against the Thunder with a four-for. He is a well-built tall fast bowler who is versatile and possesses the capability to not only swing the ball up front but also bring the change-ups into play right from the very outset.

He is one of those bowlers who have got brilliant control over his variations and he doesn’t shy away from trying them with the new ball as well. The Sixers will be expecting a couple of good spells from him tomorrow, both with the new ball as well as at the death.

Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers)

Rashid didn’t look nervous at all on debut the other night against the Scorchers as he found the right length straightaway and kept deceiving the batsmen all through his spell. None of the Scorchers batsmen was picking him out of his hands as he finished with an economy rate of less than 6 and made a match-winning impact for the Strikers.

He is an unconventional sort of a leg-spinner who is not a big turner of his stock ball, but he has got an incredibly effective googly and he also has the flipper in his armoury which skids on very, very quickly from a slightly shorter length and hurries the batsmen. The Strikers will be backing him for yet another tight spell tomorrow.

Playing combination:

Sydney Sixers

Sixers might have made a change at the top of the order if Collin Munro had been available, but Munro is currently on national duty playing for the Black Caps in the limited-over games against West Indies. He will be available only after January 3 which means Jason Roy will get another couple of cracks at the top of the order and Sixers would want an explosive start from the England opener.

The dashing right-hander has failed in both the games so far, but he has that X-factor in him and if he bats for a period of 12 to 15 overs, he can change the game for his team. He is a good player of spin too unlike many other English players. The 27-year old likes to use his feet and go straight down the ground against the spinners. A big knock is due off his bat and the Sixers will hope tomorrow is the day.

Predicted XI: Jason Roy, Daniel Hughes, Nic Maddinson, Moises Henriques (C), Sam Billings, Johan Botha, Peter Nevill (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Sean Abbott, Daniel Sams, Doug Bollinger

Adelaide Strikers

The Strikers will like to go with the winning combination which fetched them a great result in the opening game. Travis Head will hold the key position of no. 3 and will have to control the innings. He was playing well against the Scorchers, but lost his wicket at a crucial juncture and couldn’t give that finishing kick to the Strikers’ innings.

He will want to play right through the innings tomorrow and propel his team to a winning position. Collin Munro will be another key player in the middle order. The South African left-hander has got plenty of experience in this format of the game and has been a top performer in different leagues across the globe.

Predicted XI: Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Travis Head (C), Collin Ingram, Jonathan Wells, Jake Lehmann, Jonathon Dean, Rashid Khan, Peter Siddle, Ben Laughlin, Bily Stanlake

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