BBL 7, Match 35, Preview: Renegades and Strikers receive major squad boost ahead of the clash

The Big Bash League (BBL) will resume tomorrow after a rest day in the weekend with the Melbourne Renegades hosting the Adelaide Strikers for Match 35. Generally the Renegades are a very strong team at home, but that hasn’t been the case this season. They have played at the Docklands Stadium thrice in BBL 7 and lost twice.

Talking about the Strikers, they have a 50-50 away record so far in the season. Out of the 4 games that they played away, they won 2 and lost 2. But with a total of 6 wins in 8 games, they have almost secured their place in the knockouts and will certainly be more confident of the two teams coming into this game.

Playing Combination

Melbourne Renegades

The Renegades have some of their big players coming back into the squad for this crunch game. Cameron White will captain the team and Kieron Pollard, who has been roped in as a replacement for Mohammad Nabi, will be the second overseas player in the XI. Also, Brad Hodge has recovered from the injury and should be picked for the game as well.

While White is with the Australian national team at the moment and took part in the 3rd ODI game against England, he has decided to feature for the Renegades tomorrow before joining back the Kangaroo squad for the 4th game of the series. His arrival certainly strengthens the Renegades’ squad as he is not only an experienced top order batsman but an astute captain as well.

Predicted XI: Tim Ludeman (wk), Marcus Harris, Cameron White (C), Dwayne Bravo, Tom Cooper, Kieron Pollard, Brad Hodge, Jack Wildermuth, Kane Richardson, Chris Tremain, Brad Hogg

Adelaide Strikers

Just like the Renegades, the Strikers have received a major boost ahead of the encounter as well as two of their main players Travis Head and Alex Carey who were called up for national duty have been released from the Kangaroo squad and both of them are available for selection in this game.

Head, in all likelihood, will be back as the captain of the side, while Carey who is fresh from a hundred against the Hurricanes will open the innings. Also with Head’s return, Colling Ingram who had been batting at no. 3 will go one position down and bat at 4. The rest of the XI should remain the same.

The Strikers bowling has been doing very well and that’s been one of the main reasons why they have fared as well as they have done so far in the tournament. While the young Rashid Khan deserves all the praise that he is getting, one must not forget the contributions of the veteran Peter Siddle and the lanky tall pacer Billy Stanlake either.

Predicted XI: Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Travis Head (C), Colin Ingram, Jonathan Wells, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Rashid Khan, Peter Siddle, Ben Laughlin, Billy Stanlake

Head to Head

Total games played – 6, Adelaide Strikers won – 3, Melbourne Renegades won – 3

Focus will be on-

Kieron Pollard (Melbourne Renegades)

Pollard is one of the hottest properties in T20 cricket as far as the international leagues are concerned and he can prove to be a fantastic pick for the Renegades. The Caribbean all-rounder brings so much to the table. He is as good as one can be when it comes to finishing the innings down the order and apart from that he is quite handy with the ball too and can always slip in a couple of overs here and there to make the captain’s job easier. Also his fielding skills, especially when he fields in the deep, are simply world class.

Billy Stanlake (Adelaide Strikers)

While there have been a lot of talks about Rashid and how he brings the sting in the Strikers’ bowling, one man who has been in the radar so far is Billy Stanlake. He has provided crucial breakthroughs to the team and has looked quite impressive with both new and old ball. He is an attacking bowler and bowls with the mindset of taking wickets. He is quick through the air and since he is so tall, he gets a fair amount of bounce from fuller lengths which makes him a tricky bowler to face.

Broadcast Details

TV – SonyESPN

Online – SonyLIV