Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Thunder : Can The Table Toppers restrict the Scorching Perth || Big Bash League
Big Bash League 2020-21 Match 34
Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Thunder Match Prediction – Sat, 9th January
Scorchers Climbing Up the Table:
The Scorchers may languish second from behind, but a three-game winning streak has put Ashton Turner and co. within reach for the playoffs. Perth has an extra game in hand over the sides above them, and a victory here on Saturday, with or without a bonus point, will put them into the top five.
Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy’s arrivals have bolstered them as they sit in the middle of the points table, with mere 13 points. Their bowling line, led by speedster Jhye Richardson, has also come to the facade in recent matches. It should help them in a good start ahead of this epic encounter.
With three victories from their last three BBL encounters, the Perth Scorchers are in outstanding form. Their batsmen are shooting, and bowlers are remarkable. And their beating of defending champions Sydney Sixers in the previous game will have indeed given them a big confidence lift entering into their forthcoming games. Despite being second from bottom in the Big Bash League 2020-21 points table, a victory on Saturday could raise them to be fourth.
Possible playing XI: Jason Roy, Colin Munro, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis (WK), Ashton Turner (C), Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, and Fawad Ahmed.
Thunder’s Sovereign:
Twenty-two points in their bag. The Thunder’s have indisputably been the cream of the crop. They are on a roll with six victories in eight matches so far in Big Bash League 2020-21. Their superior roster has Usman Khawaja and Tanveer Sangha’s likes, who have been remarkable of late.
Despite all-rounder Daniel Sams being rested as a safeguard, the Thunder did not miss a beat against Hobart Hurricanes as they fruitfully defended a target of 167. With their bowling line-up in good form, one wouldn’t put a second successive win past them.
The unfancied Sydney Thunder have been one of the major revelations of the season so far. They may not have any T20 megastars in their ranks, but the Thunder discover themselves top of the BBL positions.
Their control has been led by their exceptional spin-bowling line-up, with Chris Green and Tanveer Sangha’s likes leading the fashion. Beginner Sangha is the BBL’s highest wicket-taker so far, with 15 wickets to his name. While Green is not too far late, having a chip in 12 wickets so far.
Possible playing XI: Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (C), Usman Khawaja, Sam Billings (WK), Alex Ross, Arjun Nair, Nathan McAndrew, Ben Cutting, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Green, and Adam Milne
The venue, Pitch Report, and Toss Prediction:
The 34th match of the ongoing Big Bash League 2020-21 (BBL) has the Perth Scorchers taking on the table-toppers Sydney Thunder at the Perth Stadium on Saturday. Both these teams head into this contest on the back of a spectacular win.
Another high-scoring match reckons at the Perth Stadium with the average total being 170. The batters should enjoy the ball skidding onto the bat; however, they will need to keep an eye out for early movement off the wicket.
The smaller ground dimensions should also play an element, with there being little space for error for the spin bowlers. This is an evening game, so both teams preferably want to bowl upon winning the toss, though the wicket shouldn’t vary much during the proceedings.
Fascinatingly, teams winning the bat flip have been introduced on all three instances to date, but it must undoubtedly be a case of taking first use of the conveniences. There’s been a little rain around Australia in the last several days, but not in Perth, where another dry, warm evening is in viewpoint.
Perth should pick the Bonus:
For the very second time in four days, Perth Scorchers will be playing against the league toppers, and, once again, they begin as favourites. The rates are analogous too, with Perth Scorchers available at 1.76, followed by the Thunders at 2.10.
We’ve chatted about the bowlers to a level, but we are dubious this will come down to either of the two fiery batting squad’s hitting on the day. The bat flip (toss) could also be crucial with the trend for victory going with the side electing to bat first. Fashions have to change but so do winning lines, and maybe it’s time for Perth to reorder. We are stern on this and will favour waiting until the bat flip. However, we can back Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson to pick the points.
Skipper, Spin duo and Start:
We reckon the Skipper Callum Ferguson, spin dup of Sydney Thunder, and the start of the game can be the dynamic changes.
The Captain will be aware of the game’s importance. Having performed subpar so far, he should step up sooner than later. With a reasonable price, captain Callum should be the smart pick to fancy your bets.
Daniel Sams was the favourite. But in his absence, the spinners of Thunder, Chris Green and Tanveer Sangha have proved worthy. Both men are in Thunder’s highest wicket-taker line-up and are visibly worth keeping an eye on based on those returns.
