Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
BBL 2021/22 Match 7: STA vs THU Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | STA vs THU Dream11 Prediction Today | Stars vs Thunder Key Players | MCG Pitch Report
Nearly a week after suffering the heaviest defeat in BBL history, Melbourne Stars will play their first home game with an almost completely new look team in what could be a cracking encounter against the capable Sydney Thunder.
After fielding a team missing key players like Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Coulter-Nile, the Stars were taken apart by the Sydney Sixers batsmen before rolling over for just 61. Here, both Stoinis and Coulter-Nile are in the squad, along with West Indian T20 great Andre Russell who signed with the franchise this week. Also, Qais Ahmed is set to play after arriving from the Abu Dhabi T10 League, so we can expect to see a much different Stars performance today.
The Thunder have their own qualities, which is why they are rated highly by many fans and pundits. They started their campaign off well against the Heat on Monday night, and a victory here away from home will only increase confidence further. The form of Alex Ross and Sam Billings in the middle order is encouraging, while the bowling attack looks quite handy when Gurinder Sandhu is rediscovering his form from nearly a decade ago.
In a tournament that is crying out for quality so far, this might just be the game that delivers it.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
- Marcus Stoinis has the most runs of any player in Stars-Thunder matches. The opener has struck 359 runs in 10 innings vs Thunder at an average of 39.89 and strike rate of 135.47.
- Stoinis also has a good T20 record at the MCG. He has scored 823 runs in 30 innings at an average of 34.29 and strike rate of 129.81.
- Nick Larkin has a cracking record against the Thunder. The right-hander has scored 238 runs against them at an average of 79.33 and strike rate of 143.37. His scores read: 15, 83*, 6, 65, 41*, 28*.
- Glenn Maxwell averages in the late 20s against Thunder (27.63) and at the MCG (29.72). If he gets a start today, he is capable of going big given his excellent T20 form this year.
- Can Andre Russell make an immediate impact? He is coming off an extraordinary performance in the recent T10 Final, where he scored a 32-ball 90*.
- The Stars missed Nathan Coulter-Nile vs the Sixers. He has eight wickets in seven matches vs Thunder (econ. 6.42), and will be aiming to improve his MCG record (10 wickets in 11 innings, avg. 31.30, econ. 8.03).
- Adam Zampa was key to Australia’s recent World Cup triumph. He has the most wickets of any bowler in T20s at the MCG, with 34 scalps in 25 innings at a brilliant average/economy rate of 18.79/6.86.
- Zampa also enjoys bowling vs Thunder, with 16 wickets in 10 matches against them at an average of 17.50 and economy rate of 7.37.
Sydney Thunder:
- Alex Hales fell for a duck vs Brisbane Heat, but he is always a dangerous player. He scored the most runs in BBL 10, with 543 runs at an average of 38.78 and strike rate of 161.60.
- Hales smashed 71 off 29 balls in his last game against the Stars. It will be interesting to see how he performs today.
- Matthew Gilkes looked dangerous vs Heat (20 off 10 balls, 2 fours, 1 six). He has made scores of 41 and 28 so far in his career vs Stars.
- Sam Billings looked in excellent touch vs Heat. The Englishman looked calm as he put together a solid 44* off 36 balls.
- Alex Ross is coming off a player of the match performance vs Heat (61*). Also, Ross has a fantastic record against the Stars, with 278 runs in 11 innings at an average of 46.33 and strike rate of 142.56.
- Daniel Sams has taken 11 wickets in seven matches vs Stars at an average of 16.91 and economy rate of 7.64. He bowled beautifully last game against the Heat, finishing with figures of 3/22.
- Gurinder Sandhu is in some brilliant form. He recently took a hat-trick in the Marsh Cup and then took 2/17 in four overs against the Heat.
- Tanveer Sangha has taken four wickets in two matches vs Stars (avg. 10.75, econ. 5.38). He could enjoy the longer boundaries of the MCG today.
Stats and Facts
- Head-to-head: Matches 15, Stars 8, Thunder 7.
- Melbourne Stars have won five of the past six matches against the Thunder.
- Ben Cutting strikes at 159.18 in 13 matches against the Stars (234 runs, avg. 29.25).
- Nathan McAndrew is having a good season, and he is coming off 2/33 vs Heat.
Possible Playing 11
Melbourne Stars have named their squad which includes Stoinis, Coulter-Nile, Russell and Qais. Andre Russell is set to play the first of his five games this season.
Melbourne Stars: 1. Marcus Stoinis, 2. Joe Clarke (wk), 3. Nick Larkin, 4. Glenn Maxwell (c), 5. Hilton Cartwright, 6. Andre Russell, 7. Nathan Coulter-Nile, 8. Sam Elliott, 9. Adam Zampa, 10. Brody Couch, 11. Qais Ahmed
Lachlan Hearne has replaced Ollie Davies in the Thunder squad, but they could name the same XI that beat Brisbane Heat on Monday.
Sydney Thunder: 1. Alex Hales, 2. Sam Whiteman, 3. Matthew Gilkes, 4. Sam Billings (wk), 5. Alex Ross, 6. Ben Cutting, 7. Daniel Sams, 8. Nathan McAndrew, 9. Chris Green (c), 10. Gurinder Sandhu, 11. Tanveer Sangha
MCG Pitch Report and Weather
The MCG played host to some strong scores last season. The average first innings score in six matches on this ground in BBL 10 was 171, with the team batting first winning four of those games.
There is a chance of an early afternoon shower in Melbourne, but the weather should be fine for the match. It will be a cool night with a top of just 19 degrees during the day.
Fan2Play Prediction
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Dream11 Prediction
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time.
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Match Prediction
This has the potential to be a cracker. A score of 170+ batting first could be a tough chase. Melbourne Stars start as favourites at home.