Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

BBL09 Match 31: ST vs HH Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | ST vs HH Dream11 | BBL09 Match Prediction Today | Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes Prediction Today| Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes Key Players | ST vs HH Dream11 Prediction

One of the rare occasions at this stage of the season: two teams who are yet to play each other in BBL09.

Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes, two sides experiencing a bit of a slide, need to get back on track. The Thunder, at home, sit precariously in fifth. The Hurricanes, after a valiant effort in Brisbane with key players out, sit second-from-bottom.

So, who will win this important clash?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

• Matthew Wade made a terrific start to his BBL09 campaign, scoring 61 (46) vs Heat.
• Also, Wade was terrific vs Thunder last season: 85 (49) and 45 (29).
• Callum Ferguson is right up there among the top BBL09 run-scorers. At time of writing, he was second with 288 runs at avg. of 48.00.
• Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales make up the vital Thunder top three. However, Khawaja and Hales have not reached any great heights over the past few matches. Time is now vs a depleted Hurricanes attack.
• George Bailey has had a poor tournament to date. However, he is one to watch for this one: 243 runs vs Thunder at 121.50.
• Ben McDermott needs to bat higher for the Hurricanes. He has 150 runs vs Thunder at an average of 50.
• Matthew Gilkes is coming off a 50+ score vs Stars.
• Daniel Sams continues to take wickets in every BBL09 game. He is top of the chart with 15 wickets to his name.
• Chris Morris is wicketless in his past two games. However, he can’t be discounted as a key player: He took eight wickets in his first four games.
• How good was Scott Boland two nights ago against the Heat? He turned the game with his magnificent spell of 3/16.
• Boland’s last two games vs Thunder (during his time with Melbourne Stars): 1/29 and 2/28.
• Qais Ahmad will be a key man on the traditionally slow Sydney Showground pitch. He took 2/22 vs Thunder last season on a similar pitch in Canberra.
• Can Nathan Ellis break the game open for Hurricanes? His mix of slower and quicker balls was impressive vs Heat. He could enjoy the potentially-slowish pitch for this game.

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Head-to-Head

• Matches 10, Thunder 3, Hurricanes 7.
• Thunder have won three of the past five meetings.

Key to a Sydney Thunder win

30s and 40s were on the menu for Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson in Melbourne a couple of nights ago. Against a Hurricanes attack missing key personnel, it is on the top three to provide a strong start that can catapult the Thunder to a strong score, given the lack of power the Thunder have compared to other teams.

Also, Daniel Sams has been terrific with the ball in BBL09. He will be out to lead the way again, with Chris Morris and the spinners to also chip in with effective overs. Can they get the better of Wade early and put further pressure on the Hurricanes?

Key to a Hobart Hurricanes win

The Hurricanes can’t rely only on Matt Wade. He scored 66 out of the Hurricanes’ 126 two nights ago in Brisbane, which is something to avoid in Sydney. Of course, Wade will be key again, but onus is on the likes of the experienced Ben McDermott, David Miller and George Bailey to also contribute.

Also, it was a fantastic effort by the depleted Hurricanes attack in Brisbane. Missing James Faulkner and star-man Riley Meredith, it was easy to assume that the Heat batsmen would fire. However, the Hurricanes never gave in, and more of the same is needed on Saturday evening.

Possible Playing 11

Sydney Thunder have named their 13-man squad. There are two changes to the squad, but they could stick with the same XI that lost to the Stars a few nights ago.

Sydney Thunder: 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Alex Hales, 3. Callum Ferguson, 4. Matthew Gilkes (wk), 5. Alex Ross, 6. Daniel Sams, 7. Chris Morris, 8. Nathan McAndrew, 9. Arjun Nair, 10. Jono Cook, 11. Chris Tremain

Hobart Hurricanes have also made two squad changes. David Moody and Mac Wright are out, with Jake Doran and local replacement player Jake Reed named.

Hobart Hurricanes: 1. Matthew Wade (c), 2. Caleb Jewell, 3. Ben McDermott (wk), 4. George Bailey, 5. David Miller, 6. Simon Milenko, 7. Tom Rogers, 8. Clive Rose, 9. Nathan Ellis, 10. Qais Ahmad, 11. Scott Boland

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Pitch and Conditions

There is some rain forecast on Saturday morning in Sydney. However, by the weather should be clear by the evening.

The track for Thunder’s eight-over game vs Heat on Monday was good for batting. The rain and greasy outfield may caused the pitch to quicken up a little. It will be interesting to see how a traditionally-slow track plays in this one.

Dream11 Prediction

Also read: Dream11 content for you to enjoy on CricBlog:

• 6 tips to increase chances of winning in Dream11
• MyTeam11 vs Dream11: Which is better for you?
• Pros and cons of Dream11’s deadline decision

Option 1:

Option 2:

Match Prediction

Tough game to predict. The Hurricanes showed plenty of fight against Heat two nights ago. However, it could be a tough outing again without their key players, which makes the Thunder favourites at home.

Thanks for reading!

Also read: Is cricket blogging something you are looking to pursue more of in 2020? Download my free E-Book for tips!