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NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Shekhar Singh
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0
NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test Key Players | Bay Oval Mount Maunganui Pitch Report

After a comprehensive win in the T20I series, New Zealand will be eyeing a spot in the ICC World Test Championship Final when they lock horns with Pakistan in a two-match Test series that starts on 26th Dec, at Bay Oval in beautiful Mount Maunganui.

In their last Test series, the Blackcaps turned out to be too good for West Indies and claimed a back-to-back Innings victories. They also thrashed England by an innings & 65 runs when the two sides played here in 2019. Blackcaps have not lost a Test in 2020 and would like to end the year on a high.

Meanwhile, Pakistan suffered another blow when a groin injury ruled their prolific all-rounder Shadab Khan out of the first test. Their captain Babar Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq have not recovered from their respective injuries, which makes them unavailable for this Test match. Mohammad Rizwan will lead the side in the first Test match.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

New Zealand:

  • Tim Southee is in the form of his life and four wickets away from becoming the third New Zealander to take 300 Test wickets. He also took 12 wickets in the last series against the Men in Maroon. Conditions at Bay Oval will suit the Black Caps Seamer that makes him a must-have pick for this match.
  • BJ Watling was man of the match on this ground vs England last year. He scored a magnificent 205 off 473 balls. He combined with Mitchell Santner (126) for a mammoth 261-run stand.
  • Kane Williamson piled up a mountain of runs against West Indies in the first Test before taking paternity leave for the second one. He would like to continue his red hot form. Williamson has scored 854 runs in 10 Tests vs Pakistan at an average of 47.44.
  • Ross Taylor has the most runs in New Zealand-Pakistan Tests of any current player (905 runs, avg. 41.13).
  • Kyle Jamieson was the most impressive bowler against the West Indies, and also got the Man of the series for picking 11 wickets at an average of 13.09. He would like to continue his red ball form.
  • Niel Wagner took eight wickets on this ground against England last year.

Pakistan

  • Mohammad Rizwan looked in superb touch in the last T20I, and he also played well in his previous outing against England in this format. Now the trust shown by the team management to choose him as the captain will be a massive boost for his confidence, and the onus will be on him to perform.
  • Azhar Ali came under severe criticism for his batting & captaincy before playing a 141 runs match-saving knock against England earlier this year. Unfortunately for him, that could not save his captaincy. He also looked good in his practice match against New Zealand A and scored a total of 88 runs in the two innings. The former captain will look to prove his worth when he steps in the park again.
  • Mohammad Abbas’ delivery to dismiss Ben Stokes was one of the most talking points when cricket resumed after a halt in 2020. The Pakistani Pace Bowler picked 5 wickets in the practice match against New Zealand A and would look to lead the pace attack with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah in his ranks.
NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test Key Players | Bay Oval Mount Maunganui Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11: Azhar Ali will be key.

Stats and Facts

  • The last time Pakistan toured New Zealand for Tests, New Zealand won 2-0 in 2016 (8 wickets and 138 runs).
  • Overall, though, Pakistan have a good record in New Zealand. They have won 10 matches compared to New Zealand’s seven, with 14 draws.
  • Interestingly, Tom Latham averages just 31 vs Pakistan.

Possible Playing 11

Kane Williamson will replace Will Young after coming back from his well-deserved Paternity leave.

New Zealand: 1. Tom Latham, 2. Tom Blundell, 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Henry Nicholls, 6. BJ Watling (wk), 7. Mitchell Santner, 8. Kyle Jamieson, 9. Tim Southee, 10. Niel Wagner, 11. Trent Boult

Haris Sohail and Faheem Ashraf are expected to make a comeback in the Playing 11. 

Pakistan: 1. Abid Ali, 2. Shan Masood, 3. Azhar Ali, 4. Fawad Alam, 5. Haris Sohail, 6. Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), 7. Faheem Ashraf, 8. Yasir Shah, 9. Shaheen Afridi, 10. Naseem Shah, 11. Mohammad Abbas.

Bay Oval Mount Maunganui Pitch Report & Weather Conditions

The Bay Oval track was pretty good for batting in the New Zealand vs England Test last year. England scored 353, followed by New Zealand’s mammoth 615/9d. Then, the skillful New Zealand bowlers, led by Wagner, were able to extract some uneven bounce to dismantle England for 197.

This time the Bay Oval pitch is expected to be neutral but according to the current forecast it might rain on the second day. With overcast conditions, the bowlers could have an edge.

Dream11 Prediction

Grand League Picks

  • BJ Watling scored a Double Century when New Zealand played against England at this venue. After making a comeback from a hamstring injury he will look to be back among the runs. In the last couple of years, he has turned out to be one of the most valuable resources for New Zealand in this format and will be a good pick in both small/grand leagues.
  • Fawad Alam performed brilliantly in the domestic circuit to grab a place on the International side but has not done much justice to his talent and opportunities given to him. However, he scored 139 runs in the second innings against New Zealand A and it will be interesting to see if he can grab this and make a place for him in the absence of Babar Azam. He will be a good pick in Grand Leagues.
  • Faheem Ashraf was the most impressive from the Pakistani camp in the recently concluded T20I series and would like to carry forward his white ball form. If he can perform and make an impact in this series, Shadab Khan’s injury will be a blessing in disguise for him. 
  • Ross Taylor will be playing his first Test after being dropped from the T20 squad. The Blackcaps veteran will look to make a point for him and score some big runs.

Option 1 (small leagues)

NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test Key Players | Bay Oval Mount Maunganui Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

NZ vs PAK 1st Test Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test Key Players | Bay Oval Mount Maunganui Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 1st Test Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

The absence of Babar Azam is a significant one for Pakistan. New Zealand, with such a superb home record over the past decade, look good to win. New Zealand to win this match and end 2020 on a high.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.

No DRS in BBL: Twitter reactions after another poor decision

Charbel Coorey
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0
No DRS in BBL: Twitter reactions after another poor decision

No DRS in BBL: Twitter reactions after another poor decision | Twitter reactions to another poor decision in BBL 10, with discussions around DRS

Yet again in BBL 10, a poor decision, and no Decision Review System (DRS) was a key point of discussion. After Usman Khawaja took the cover off a delivery from Andrew Tye, he was given not out. The explanation by umpire Simon Lightbody, that the bat had hit the ground, sent Tye into a frenzy and alarm bells ringing for fans.

The key thing to understand here is that umpires can make mistakes. They are human. However, Cricket Australia, who thought that the DRS is a significant and unnecessary expense, continues to hurt the BBL. With all the new rules and in-game additions, the absence of DRS and presence of awful decisions does not do the competition any favours. In fact, it reduces its value and integrity in the eyes of the fans.

Opinions were rife on Twitter among players and fans regarding the DRS situation. Australia’s great former keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist led the way, suggesting that even a “watered down” DRS with just TV replays would be better than nothing at all. Glenn Maxwell also had a similar view.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions to another instance of a decision making headlines in the BBL.

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Calls will grow louder for DRS if the poor decisions continue. From a CA perspective, they will be hoping that no poor decision directly impacts a result, or else the reactions will be even more scathing. Next up, Brisbane Heat will do battle with Adelaide Strikers, and the umpires will need to be on their game.

BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Heat vs Strikers Key Players | Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report

Will a return to the Gabba inspire Brisbane Heat? A week after a disappointing defeat against Sydney Thunder in a game they looked like winning, the heat is on the Heat to turn their form around after a poor last few seasons.

Former Heat all-rounder Ben Cutting spoke recently of the culture issues at the Heat, and if the defeats continue, those calls will only grow louder. So, the onus is on Chris Lynn to lead the way to provide some semblance of calm for one of the BBL’s most underperforming teams.

They have an opportunity to get a victory today against Adelaide Strikers. The Strikers will be without star batsman Alex Carey due to border closures as a result of an increase in COVID-19 cases in Sydney, which is a blow as the left-hander is coming off a half-century a week ago against the Hurricanes.

Like the Heat, the Strikers have made an indifferent start to their BBL 10 season. Their last performance was a poor one against Sydney Sixers, where they conceded 177/5 after restricting the Sixers to 58/3 in 11.1 overs, and scored just 138/7 after making a start of 52/0 in the first 4.2 overs. Can they bounce back?

BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Heat vs Strikers Key Players | Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11: Chris Lynn will be key.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Brisbane Heat:

  • Chris Lynn has the most runs in Heat-Strikers matches (191). However, these runs come at an average of just 17.36. Can he deliver today?
  • Jimmy Peirson has the next most among current Heat players with 158 runs (avg. 31.60).
  • Jack Wildermuth has a crucial role to play. He has been in outstanding form, with 31 (11) last week vs Thunder (after his century for Australia A vs Indians), along with three wickets vs Thunder.
  • Mark Steketee has taken six wickets in five games vs Strikers.

Adelaide Strikers:

  • Jake Weatherald has the most runs for Strikers so far in BBL 10 (96, avg. 48.00, SR 141.17).
  • Phil Salt smashed 67* off 38 balls in his last game vs Heat in BBL 09.
  • Rashid Khan has eight wickets in five matches vs the Heat. He takes his wickets at an average of just 14.13 against them at an economy rate of 5.65.
  • When Matt Renshaw was playing for the Heat, he loved playing vs the Strikers (185 runs, one dismissal). Now, he’s playing for the Strikers. Can he perform vs Heat?
  • Daniel Worrall is coming off a superb spell of swing and seam bowling vs Sydney Sixers. He took 2/12 in four overs. He has taken three wickets in three games vs Heat.
  • Peter Siddle has taken six wickets in three matches so far in BBL 10. This includes 5/16 vs Hurricanes. Wes Agar has also taken six wickets, with two wickets in each of his three games so far this season.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Matches 11, Strikers 6, Heat 5.
  • Last season, Heat bowled Strikers out for 110 at the Gabba, and won by seven wickets. Three days later, Strikers rolled the Heat for 100 at Adelaide, and won by 10 wickets.
  • Strikers currently sit fifth in the BBL 10 table with 5 points. Heat sit bottom with 1 point.

Possible Playing 11

Brisbane Heat have named the same 16-man squad that they had for their game against the Thunder last week.

Brisbane Heat: 1. Max Bryant, 2. Sam Heazlett, 3. Chris Lynn (c), 4. Dan Lawrence, 5. Tom Cooper, 6. Jack Wildermuth, 7. Jimmy Pierson (wk), 8. Mark Steketee, 9. Matt Kuhnemann, 10. Ben Laughlin, 11. Mujeeb ur Rahman

Adelaide Strikers have also named their squad. Alex Carey and Harry Conway are out of this game due to current border restrictions. The Strikers could look to play Liam O’Connor, who took 1/22 and 3/30 vs Heat last season.

Adelaide Strikers: 1. Jake Weatherald, 2. Phil Salt, 3. Matt Renshaw, 4. Harry Nielsen (wk), 5. Jono Wells, 6. Matt Short, 7. Liam Scott/Liam O’Connor, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Peter Siddle (c), 10. Wes Agar, 11. Daniel Worrall

Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report and Weather

A warm and humid day in Brisbane, with no chance of rain. The pitch is usually one of the quicker ones in Australia. For T20 matches, the Gabba track is usually a beauty for batting.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Heat vs Strikers Key Players | Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Heat vs Strikers Key Players | Gabba Brisbane Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 13: HEA vs STR Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

The absence of Alex Carey is a blow for the Strikers, which gives the Heat a boost. However, the Strikers attack has been in decent form. Against an up and down Heat batting lineup, this could prove crucial.

Thanks for reading!

“I won’t be doing that”: Quinton de Kock

Charbel Coorey
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0
“I won’t be doing that”: Quinton de Kock

“I won’t be doing that”: Quinton de Kock | Quinton de Kock says that he doesn’t want the role of South Africa Test captain on a long-term basis

Quinton de Kock admits to being relevant in taking up the role of captaincy in long formats. In a recent interaction, the South African star player said that obviously he was not ready to accept the roles of a captain for the upcoming Test matches but understanding the demands of the team he had to bend his knee.

“When they (the selectors) told me the situation that we were in, I understood where they were coming from. It’s just [till] when we get someone who really puts up their hand, they will take over. The guys are looking for a long-term leadership role. I won’t be doing that. There does seem a lot on my plate but I am quite happy to do it for now”, de Kock said, from the team’s biosecure bubble at the Irene Country Club in Centurion.

South Africa is set to play seven Test matches this summer before they start indulging in T20 cricket for the World Cup. The Test games are against Srilanka, Pakistan, and Australia which puts de Kock in charge of the team for 16 matches this season including shorter format games as well.

“I am going to keep wicket. I wasn’t going to keep in the ODIs against England. We were going to give someone else a chance and now that I am looking after the Test team, we are looking at ways to get a lot of things off my shoulders,” he said. “But in Test cricket, I need to be there as keeper”, he said.

The lower order of SA team is a matter of concern and with additional work load, de Kock can either add runs to the scoreboard or he does the repair work as a captain is something to look forward. “We’ve got a young team. We need our younger guys to come through and learn fast so we can have a structured team. That’s what I would hope for for this season – for the new guys to come in and start scoring runs and putting up their hands,” he said.

Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.

NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Shekhar Singh
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0
NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20 Key Players | Napier Pitch Report

The Caravan of the T20I series moves to Mclean Park, Napier, which will look forward to hosting the Pakistan team for the first time in T20s.

In the cecond T20I, Mohammad Hafeez was the star of the Pakistani Camp and scored 99 not out from 57 deliveries, and it turns out to be the highest percentage of team runs for Pakistan in a T20I innings. The Veteran scored 60.7% of Pakistan’s runs while the other batsmen just managed 62 runs 63 deliveries. 

Meanwhile, from the New Zealand camp, another spectacular knock from Tim Siefert and a glorious half-century from the Blackcaps skipper Kane Williamson sealed the series, after Tim Southee put on a show and grabbed his second 4-while haul in T20Is.

New Zealand will look to clean-sweep the series and continue their home summer without losing a match.

NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20 Key Players | Napier Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11: Hafeez has been outstanding

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

New Zealand 

  • Tim Siefert: The Blackcaps wicket-keeper batsman continues to impress and scored a brilliant 84 not out to bring up a series win. After scoring two back to back fifties, it will be interesting to see if he can continue the streak at Mclean Park and get his first Fifty at this venue. His last three T20 scores at this venue are 36, 35, and 3.
  • Kane Williamson: After being blessed with a baby girl, the New Zealand skipper resumed his duties and looked in superb touch and brought a glorious Fifty and well-deserved win for New Zealand. He will be a must-have pick for this match.
  • Tim Southee is coming off an excellent four-wicket haul in the second T20I.
  • Mitchell Santner has taken three wickets in two T20Is on this ground.

Pakistan

  • Mohammad Hafeez: The last couple of years in T20s has been unreal for The Professor. In last 15 T20Is, he has scored 617 runs at an average of 88. The Veteran Batsman will be a top choice for C/VC in all leagues.
  • Shadab Khan: In his first series as Captain, the Pakistani All-rounder would like to showcase his all-round abilities to avoid a whitewash. He missed out with the bat but bowled really well in the second T20I and would like to get some wickets in the third T20I.
  • Can Haris Rauf bounce back with wickets in this game? He took 3/29 in the first T20I.

Stats and Facts

Possible Playing 11

New Zealand might consider to bring in Todd Astle and rest Ish Sodhi for Tests.

New Zealand: 1. Martin Guptill, 2. Tim Seifert (wk), 3. Devon Conway, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Kane Williamson (c), 6. James Neesham, 7. Ish Sodhi/Todd Astle, 8. Scott Kuggelejin, 9. Tim Southee, 10. Kyle Jamieson, 11. Trent Boult

Former Pakistan Skipper Sarfaraz Khan is expected to replace Abdullah Shafique for this match.

Pakistan: 1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2. Haider Ali, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Shadab Khan (c) 5. Sarfaraz Khan, 6. Khushdil Shah, 7. Imad Wasim, 8. Faheem Ashraf, 9. Haris Rauf, 10. Wahab Riaz, 11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

McLean Park Napier Pitch Report and Weather

McLean Park is another high-scoring venue and the average score batting first is 180. Another high-scoring affair seems to be on the cards under the lights.

Dream11 Prediction

Grand League Dream11 Picks:

  • Martin Guptill: The Big Man looked in fine touch in the second T20I and was hitting the ball with force before getting out. He will be Top choice for Captain/Vice-captain role in this match.
  • Imad Wasim: Catches got dropped and edges did not carry so the Wicket column won’t show how good Imad Wasim was in the last match. He will be a top Grand league pick for this match and will probably grab 1-2 wickets.
  • Todd Astle: It will be interesting to see if New Zealand rest Ish Sodhi and brings Todd Astle in place of him. The Leggie took 3 wickets against Sri Lanka in his last match.

Grand League Tip: Don’t Make Tim Siefert C/VC in this match and can consider to drop him in a couple of your Grand League teams.

Option 1 (small leagues):

NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20 Key Players | Napier Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | NZ vs PAK 3rd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | New Zealand vs Pakistan 3rd T20 Key Players | Napier Pitch Report
NZ vs PAK 3rd T20I Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction 

Pakistan matches are always difficult to predict as no one knows which Pakistan side will turn up on the day but playing in home conditions with momentum on their side, New Zealand will love to clean-sweep the series. However, we expect this to be a closely fought contest.

Thanks for reading!

Written by Shekhar Singh. Follow Shekhar on Twitter today.

BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

Sarthak Karkhanis
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0
BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report

BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | SCO vs THU Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Thunder Key Players | Manuka Oval Canberra Pitch Report

The Big Bash League returns to the Manuka Oval in the capital city of Canberra as the Sydney Thunder take on the Perth Scorchers. It’s a clash between teams placed in the bottom-half of the table and are in a quest to climb up the ladder and not trail behind in the race for a spot in the playoffs.

Perth Scorchers are one of the strongest teams on paper in the tournament. But they are winless, having failed to register a victory in their opening two games against the Melbourne-based sides.

After losing their opening game against the Renegades by 7 wickets after their opponents restricted them to a below-par total of 130, the Scorchers shared points with the Melbourne Stars as rain-interrupted the 2nd innings. The match was curtailed to 17 overs due to rain and weather played spoilsport the 3-time BBL champions could bowl only 7 balls in the chase.

On the other hand, the Sydney Thunder pulled off a stunning victory against the Brisbane Heat as they chased a target of 179 with a couple of balls to spare. Daniel Sams hit a 25-ball 65 and was ably supported by Heat-import Ben Cutting as he scored 29 runs. On the back of the duo’s 69-run partnership, the Green Sydney outfit scored 107 runs off the final 10 overs. Earlier, Thunder were reduced to 22-3 before Holt and Alex Ross steadied the ship.

The bowling unit can be expected to fare better as they conceded 178 in the first innings as Lynn led their opponents with a half-century.

Sydney Thunder bounced back after losing their opening game against the Stars and they will take confidence from their previous game. Last season, the two teams won one game apiece as Alex Hales fared well in both the games, scoring 47 off 27 in a rain-curtailed match and also an 85-run knock in the reverse fixture.

BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | SCO vs THU Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Thunder Key Players | Manuka Oval Canberra Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11: Can Mitch Marsh lead Scorchers to a win?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  1. Daniel Sams is coming off an match-winning all-round performance (25-ball 65 and 2 wickets) against the Brisbane Heat and he is the key for the Thunder side with the bat in the death overs as well as powerplay bowler.
  2. Cameron Bancroft is the leading run-getter in the matches between the two sides with 209 runs at an average of 69.67.
  3. Callum Ferguson scored an unbeaten century against the Scorchers in the 2018 edition of the BBL. Overall, he has struck 193 runs vs Scorchers at an average of 64.33.
  4. Alex Hales has been among the top 5 run-getters in T20s this year. He is 26 runs away from scoring 1k runs in the shortest format in 2020 and has a strike rate of 148. Hales smashed 85 (59) and 47 (27) against Scorchers last season.
  5. Usman Khawaja has struck 182 runs in five games vs Scorchers, at an average of 36.40.
  6. Mitchell Marsh enjoys playing against Thunder. He has only been dismissed twice in six games against them (186 runs, avg. 93).
  7. Andrew Tye is wicketless in this edition of the BBL so far. But for Scorchers to enhance their performance, he will be one of the key players. He has taken seven wickets in five games vs Thunder.
  8. Jason Behrendhorff has taken nine wickets in six games vs Thunder.

Stats and Facts

  • The H2H record is very close as Scorchers have won 6 games while Thunder have won 5.
  • However in the recent past, Thunder have the edge, winning 4 out of the previous 5 games.
  • Daniel Sams has just one wicket in four games vs Scorchers. Will this be his game?

Possible Playing 11

Sydney Thunder: Sangha and Milne are available for the Thunder side. Alex Ross is in the squad, but he did pick up a groin injury during the match vs Heat.

Probable Playing 11: 1. Alex Hales, 2. Usman Khawaja, 3. Callum Ferguson (c), 4. Jason Sangha, 5. Daniel Sams, 6. Ben Cutting, 7. Chris Green, 8. Baxter Holt (wk), 9. Adam Milne, 10. Jono Cook, 11. Tanveer Sangha

Perth Scorchers: Ashton Agar will most likely play his first game of BBL 10 and it will be interesting to see who he replaces. Jason Behrendorff will also be back after missing the clash against the Stars.

Probable Playing 11: 1. Josh Inglis (wk), 2. Colin Munro, 3. Joe Clarke, 4. Mitchell Marsh, 5. Ashton Turner (c), 6. Cameron Bancroft, 7. Ashton Agar, 8. Jhye Richardson, 9. Andrew Tye, 10. Jason Behrendorff, 11. Fawad Ahmed

Manuka Oval Canberra Pitch Report and Weather

Canberra pitches have been good in BBL 10 so far. There are slight chances of rain in the morning but the skies are expected to be clear during the evening. Hence, a rain interruption will be a surprise. 

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | SCO vs THU Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Thunder Key Players | Manuka Oval Canberra Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Dream11

Option 2:

BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Preview Dream11 Possible 11 Pitch Report | SCO vs THU Dream11 Prediction Today | Scorchers vs Thunder Key Players | Manuka Oval Canberra Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 12: SCO vs THU Dream11

Match Prediction

Perth Scorchers haven’t really got going in the league yet, although they are strong on paper. While Sydney Thunder are well-settled and will have the edge going into this encounter.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

Josh Hazlewood climbs up the ICC Test Rankings

Charbel Coorey
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0
Josh Hazlewood climbs up the ICC Test Rankings

Josh Hazlewood climbs up the ICC Test Rankings | Josh Hazlewood moves up to fifth in the Test bowling rankings after his 5/8

As Australia won the first Test match against India by eight wickets, Josh Hazlewood has climbed the ICC Test ranking for his amazing 5 for 8 in the second innings. Hazlewood is at the fifth position as he jumped four slots with 805 points, On the other end, Pat Cummins continues to rule the rankings by being on top with 910 points in his kitty.

Though India lost the Test after the batting line collapsed in incredible fashion, R Ashwin’s four wickets in the first innings took him to become India’s top-ranked Test bowler. Ashwin is also the only spinner in the top ten rankings.

When it comes to the batting line up, Australia has three batters in the top six spot with No.1 sealed by Steve Smith followed by Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner retaining their positions. Indian skipper Virat Kohli who will be out of the next three Test matches closed the gap on Smith from 25 points to 13 points.

Here’s the complete list of ICC rankings with the current updates after the first Test match of the Border–Gavaskar series:

ICC Test batting rankings

1) Steve Smith (Australia)

2) Virat Kohli (India)

3) Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

4) Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)

5) Babar Azam (Pakistan)

6) David Warner (Australia)

7) Ben Stokes (England)

8) Cheteshwar Pujara (India)

9) Joe Root (England)

10) Tom Latham (New Zealand)

ICC Test bowling rankings

1) Pat Cummins (Australia)

2) Stuart Broad (England)

3) Neil Wagner (New Zealand)

4) Tim Southee (New Zealand)

5) Josh Hazlewood (Australia)

6) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

7) Mitchell Starc (Australia)

8) James Anderson (England)

9) Ravichandran Ashwin (India)

10) Jason Holder (West Indies)

Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.

Mohammed Shami ruled out of the India-Australia series

Charbel Coorey
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0
Mohammed Shami ruled out of the India-Australia series

Mohammed Shami ruled out of the India-Australia series | India fast bowler Shami out of the rest of Test series due to fractured arm

Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the remainder of the India-Australia series after he got injured in India’s nightmare Adelaide Test. The way India lost the first Test match was already a matter of deep introspection for the team and managemen,t and now with Shami and Virat Kohli’s, the task of fighting back remains tougher.

The BCCI has not announced Shami’s replacement in the squad as the team management has to choose between Kartik Tyagi, T Natarajan, and Shardul Thakur.

His injury happened towards to end of the second innings which India started with a 53-run lead, and eventually sat at 31-9 at one point. Shami who was batting at No.11 got hit by Pat Cummins’s short ball was seen in pain but he continued to bat even after being taped. But eventually, he couldn’t bat further and India had to end their innings on 36.

At the post-match presentation, team captain Kohli said that Shami was in pain and could not even raise his bowling hand. His absence in the team left only two fast bowlers for Australia’s second innings, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.

“I think we should have shown a little more intent today. They bowled similar kinds of areas in the first inning as well but probably our mindset was to score runs. To be honest there were some good balls but the ball didn’t do anything drastic. I think it was the mindset, it was very evident. It felt like the runs were so difficult to come by and the bowlers got confident. I think it was a combination of lack of intent and the bowlers hitting their areas”, said Virat in the presentation.

Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.

CA on alert after rise in COVID cases in Sydney

Charbel Coorey
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CA on alert after rise in COVID cases in Sydney

CA on high alert after rise in COVID cases in Sydney | Cricket Australia is Monitoring the Situation in Sydney with rise in COVID cases

Cricket Australia (CA) has recently spoken about how they are on alert when it comes to monitoring the situation in Sydney and the rest of the country where Test matches will be held. There has been a new COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney’s northern beaches where 83 cases are now confirmed.

The outbreak could negatively impact the scheduled Test matches in Australia, but according to CA, they are still confident that the protocols in place will allow the Test matches to still push through despite the situation.

Biosecure bubbles have ensured that cricket matches in different parts of the world this year can push through. The Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League were both able to continue this year because of the bubbles. BBL is still on-going and thanks to that fans still have something to look forward to.

However, the threat that the recent outbreak in Australia poses is now bothering many. This isn’t the case to CA, according to its interim chief executive, Nick Hockley who recently spoke to SEN Radio. Hockley said that CA isn’t panicking but are rather monitoring the situation.

“There’s been lots of discussions and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we’ve had our players in bubbles in the hub. We’re monitoring the situation; we’re not panicking at all, staying calm. Adelaide, a few weeks ago we had that pizza-shop outbreak and through that process, we worked very calmly to get the players in Adelaide on a charter plane, out of Adelaide within 24 hours and that saved the summer.”

“We’ve got the Sydney Test and the BBL in NSW after that, so the fact we’re here in Adelaide, we’ve got the next Test in Melbourne.” It’s a watch, wait, and see the situation, according to him. He further said, “I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we’ll watch, learn and stay in touch.”

He also said that the SCG Test was not in doubt. Well, at least at this stage. Hockley explained that he doesn’t think that the SCG Test is in doubt at all. He said, “I don’t think so – this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place. It’s been interesting as we’ve worked through to almost zero community transmission, we’ve had lots of questions about do we need the hubs. Over recent weeks they’ve not been about protecting people against coronavirus as much as getting tangled up. We knew there were going to be cases pop up, so not getting caught up in this web of people having to go into isolation.”

He emphasized how the players in different leagues are sticking to the protocols. Hockley said, “Whether it’s the WBBL players, the BBL players, the BCCI, our own Australia squads, they have been fantastic in dealing with all the protocols. Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we’re in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It’s one of the things we’ve had to navigate with getting cricket up safely.”

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the former Australian captain and ABC commentator Ian Chappell is now in isolation. This is because Chappell is a resident of the northern beaches in Sydney. He is now in self-isolation in his hotel in Adelaide as directed by the SA.

SA’s health directive requires all individuals who have spent time in high community transmission zones since December 11 to self-quarantine immediately for 14 days in a suitable location. They will also have to be tested for COViD-19.

Aside from Coppell, Australian cricketer, Mitchell Starc is also going through the same thing as he is also a resident of the northern beaches. In fact, Starc would have been forced out of the Test match if he hadn’t gone in isolation since December 11.

Australia’s captain, Tim Paine, talked about Starc’s status and if there was any conjecture around Starc. Coach Paine said that there was some conjecture but he was asleep when this was all happening.

Paine further said, “We went through the appropriate channels and everything was checked off and approved by the time I got up… about 10 AM today. I know our manager and coach were working very busily behind the scenes to get all the information.” Still, Starc was able to be part of the match on day 2.

BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Sarthak Karkhanis
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BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sixers vs Strikers Key Players | Bellerive Oval Pitch Report

As the gruelling first Test between India and Australia came to an end post an apocalyptic collapse in India’s second innings, the focus shifts back to T20 cricket in the same country. The Big Bash League returns back to the primetime slot, as announced by its organisers, as the defending champions Sydney Sixers clash with the Adelaide Strikers on Sunday as both the teams look to maintain their winning momentum.

Both the teams got off to a similar start in their opening game as they were edged out by the Hobart Hurricanes. However, both of them made a comeback in their respective games that followed and hence are on the 3rd and 4th position respectively in the BBL 10 standings.

The Adelaide Strikers defeated the Hurricanes in the reverse fixture as they comfortably chased a target of 147 with more than an over to spare as skipper Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald hit half-centuries, as they bagged the first win for the Adelaide-based team.

On the other hand, the Sydney Sixers are on a high having bagged the biggest victory by the margin of runs in BBL history. Josh Phillipe and Jordan Silk, quickfire efforts made sure that Sixers breached the 200-mark for the first time in their history before the inspired bowling performance resulted in their opponents getting bowled out for 60.

On Sunday, both the teams will be looking to register another victory.

BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sixers vs Strikers Key Players | Bellerive Oval Pitch Report

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  1. Ben Dwarshuis is the leading wicket-taker in the matches between the two sides. He has also taken 4 wickets in 4 matches in the powerplay this season.
  2. Although Jordan Silk has a career SR of under 120, he scored 45 runs off just 19 deliveries in the previous game.
  3. Josh Phillipe scored the highest score ever by a Sixers batsman as he hit 95 off 57 deliveries and accelerated from a position of 27 off 24 balls.
  4. Steve O’Keefe has picked 4 wickets in the middle overs, and against Carey, he will pose a threat to the Strikers.
  5. Danny Briggs has scored at SR of 220 in the death overs.
  6. Rashid Khan picked 4-22 the last time these two sides met.
  7. Peter Siddle took 5 wickets in his last game, against the Hurricanes.

Stats and Facts

  • Head-to-head: Sydney Sixers have won 7 matches while the Strikers have won 5.
  • The Sixers have won the last 4 matches between the two sides.

Possible Playing 11

Both teams were victorious in their previous games and hence with no changes in the player availabilities, the XI will most likely be the same. 

Adelaide Strikers XI: Philip Salt, Jake Weatherald, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey(w/c), Jonathan Wells, Ryan Gibson, Rashid Khan, Daniel Worrall, Peter Siddle, Wes Agar, Danny Briggs

Sydney Sixers XI: Josh Philippe(w), Jack Edwards, James Vince, Daniel Hughes(c), Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Ben Dwarshuis, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Manenti, Gurinder Sandhu

Bellerive Oval Pitch Report and Weather

The average first innings total at Bellerive Oval is 169 and the pitch is one of the better batting decks in Australia.

The weather is expected to be cloudy and there are slight chances of rain at Hobart tomorrow.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sixers vs Strikers Key Players | Bellerive Oval Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Preview Dream11 Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction Today | Sixers vs Strikers Key Players | Bellerive Oval Pitch Report
BBL 10 Match 11: SIX vs STR Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Having registered a mammoth victory on this ground in the previous game, the Sixers will fancy their chances in this encounter.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

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