BBL 2018-19, Match 3: Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips

Sydney Thunder will take on Melbourne Stars at the Manuka Oval in both the team’s first game of this BBL edition. The Sydney Thunder, led by Shane Watson, have England players Jos Buttler and Joe Root who are expected to play an important role for the franchise. Though they don’t have a long list of batsmen in their line-up, the likes of Arjun Nair, Daniel Sams and Chris Green are capable enough to get their team through.

Stars, on the other hand, will be playing under Glenn Maxwell this season. Even they have a thin batting line-up like the Thunder but don’t have any big contributors with the bat down the order. They have the likes of Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, the in-form all-rounders for Australia in the white ball cricket. They would expect Dwayne Bravo and Sandeep Lamichhane to bring the variety to the bowling attack which will be their strength after losing a few key players to injuries.

Match Details:

The 3rd match of the Big Bash League (BBL) will be played between Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Stars at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The match starts at 7:15 PM local time (8:15 PM GMT) (1:45 PM IST).

The game will be live on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD. Streaming available on Sony Liv.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Manuka Oval in Canberra will be hosting a doubleheader on Friday. The first match will be the WBBL game between the hosts Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes. The pitches are behaving better under the lights even after used once during the WBBL. Even during the double-header played at his venue in last season, scores of 180+ were recorded after witnessing a 68/10 in the first match.

Squads:

Sydney Thunder:

Shane Watson (C), Fawad Ahmed, Jos Buttler, Jono Cook, Callum Ferguson, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Arjun Nair, Sam Rainbird, Joe Root, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha.

Melbourne Stars:

Glenn Maxwell (C), Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Evan Gulbis, Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nick Larkin, Lance Morris, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.

Probable XI:

Sydney Thunder:

Shane Watson (C), Jos Buttler, Jason Sangha, Joe Root, Callum Ferguson, Arjun Nair, Chris Green, Daniel Sams, Sam Rainbird, Fawad Ahmed, Gurinder Sandhu.

Melbourne Stars:

Glenn Maxwell (C), Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Nick Larkin/Evan Gulbis, Marcus Stoinis, Dwayne Bravo, Adam Zampa, Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, Sandeep Lamichhane.

Power Picks:

Chris Green showed how valuable he can be during this year’s CPL where he picked up ten wickets across 11 matches and conceded runs at an economy rate of 6.27. He is expected to play a crucial role with the bat later in the middle and lower-order.

Best Playing XI:

Jos Buttler, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Marcus Stoinis, Dwayne Bravo, Fawad Ahmed, Chris Green, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Lamichhane.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Jos Buttler is most likely to open the innings for the Thunder which brings the best out of him. He scored seven fifties across eight T20 innings during May-July this year. His likely opening partner Watson has done well in the league cricket and ensured he had enough match practice before going into this tournament. The duo is ideal for vice-captain role with one of Maxwell and Stoinis being captain due to their recent success in limited-overs cricket with both bat and ball.

Expert Advice:

The likes of Jos Buttler, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Joe Root, Marcus Stoinis and Dwayne Bravo collectively absorb 59.5 credits. As a result, one among Root and Bravo has to be excluded. Given the fact that there are chances of Bravo batting higher for the Stars, Root faces the wrath.

Even on taking only five players from the list of six, the XI can be completed only by using five bowlers that includes Daniel Sams and Chris Green with 8 credits. The duo is expected to make crucial contributions with the bat if they get a chance.

Probable Winners:

Sydney Thunder is expected to start with a win due to a balanced side compared to that of the Melbourne Stars.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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