HEA vs HUR Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match? BBL 2020-21, Match 16

Hobart Hurricanes, after two wins in their first two matches, lost to the Adelaide Strikers in Launceston but got back to winning ways with the six-wicket win over the Melbourne Renegades. With 11 points from four matches, they are standing pretty in the top half of the points table.

Their next match is against the Brisbane Heat on Sunday, December 27 at the Gabba in Brisbane. Going by history, the Hurricanes have beaten the Heat in 10 out of six matches. At the Gabba, the head-to-head record is 4-4.

In the meantime, the Hurricanes have added England’s Dawid Malan to their squad in place of Will Jacks. As far as the Heat are concerned, they are placed at the bottom with three defeats on the trot. In their last game, they lost to the Adelaide Strikers by two runs.

Pitch and Conditions

The pitch in Brisbane has, historically, been a good one for batting. In the first game, it didn’t show a whole lot of demons though the Heat had a tough time while batting. Batting first should be the way forward.

Another fairly high-scoring match seems to be in the offing. The temperature will be around the 25 degrees Celsius mark. The humidity will be around the low-60s with a bit of cloud cover.

Average first-innings score

150 (1 unaffected matches in BBL 2020-21)

Record of the chasing teams

Won – 0; Lost – 1

Playing Combinations for HEA vs HUR

Brisbane Heat

Sam Heazlett, Max Bryant, Simon Milenko, Daniel Lawrence/Lewis Gregory, Tom Cooper, Jack Wildermuth, Jimmy Pierson (C and WK), Mark Steketee, Xavier Bartlett, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ben Laughlin

Bench– Matt Kuhnemann, James Bazley, Connor Sully, Jack Wood, Lachan Pfeffer, Daniel Lawrence/Lewis Gregory

Hobart Hurricanes

D’Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Ben McDermott (WK), Peter Handscomb (C), Colin Ingram, Tim David, Keemo Paul, James Faulkner, Nathan Ellis, Scott Boland, Riley Meredith

Bench– Macalister Wright, Johan Botha, David Moody, Mitchell Owen, Wil Parker, Charlie Wakim, Nick Winter

Probable Top Performers for HEA vs HUR

Mujeeb Ur Rahman– Brisbane Heat

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been a revelation from his teenage days with his wicket-taking abilities. In 126 T20s at the age of 19, the off-spinner has picked up 132 wickets at an economy rate of 6.67.

In the BBL, he has 16 wickets from 20 matches at an incredible economy of 6.15. The onus will be on him to keep the batters in check. Not to forget that he can also play the big shots lower down the order.

Dawid Malan– Hobart Hurricanes

Dawid Malan’s inclusion bolsters the Hurricanes’ batting to a significant extent. The left-hander recently got an uneaten 99 against South Africa in Cape Town and has looked in ominous touch.

A veteran of 213 T20 matches, Malan is set to open the batting with the left-handed D’Arcy Short. The fact that he has five centuries in the shortest format shows how destructive he can be.

Broadcast Details

Match timings – 06:15 PM local time, 01:45 PM IST

TV – Sony Ten Network

Live Streaming – Sony LIV

The prediction is for Hobart Hurricanes to win the match.

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