The Brisbane Heat came into as championship favourites but are staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start to the year. The much hyped batting line up has well and truly underperformed, and if they don’t start to turn things around, it’ll be an uphill battle just to make the finals. The Heat come into the clash looking to break a bad run of form against the Sixers, the Sixers are 8-1 against the Heat. The Sydney Sixers come into the clash with a 1-1 record after a disappointing loss against the Hurricanes in Alice Springs, in a game they had complete control of.
The Sixers are at full strength with Jackson Bird replacing Lloyd Pope in the squad that played against the Hurricanes, Bird will add another element to a bowling line up that has been superb in its first two games this season. The Heat have also made one change to their squad from their last game, with Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann coming into the squad for Cameron Gannon. The Heat could potentially play three specialist spinners at the SCG in a bid to fix their bowling woes.
Sydney Sixers squad (13): Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Mickey Edwards, Dan Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Steve O'Keefe, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince
Brisbane Heat squad (13): Chris Lynn (c), Tom Banton, Max Bryant, Ben Cutting, Matthew Kuhnemann, Sam Heazlett, Josh Lalor, Ben Laughlin, James Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Zahir Khan
Sixers vs Heat Betting Tips
Sixers
The Sixers suffered a disappointing loss against the Hurricanes however that will just be a blip on the radar in tough conditions. The Sixers dominated against the Scorchers in their opening game of the season and being back on their home turf, will be looking to get back on the winners list. The SCG surface has been good for batting and the Sixers strong batting line up will well set to put plenty of runs on the scoreboard.
James Vince hasn’t set the competition alight to start the season with scores of 18 and 13, however he has been a quality performer at the SCG. He only played eight games, but Vince was the Sixers leading scorer in BBL08 with 269 runs at an average of 44.83 and his top three scores last season all came at the SCG. 43 not out, 74 not out and 75 which came against the Brisbane Heat. Vince has shown when he gets going that he is a class player and against a Brisbane Heat bowling attack that is under some serious pressure, will be looking to go big.
James Vince top SYD batsman
$4.00
Heat
The Heat came into the season with high expectations and have failed to deliver on them so far, at 0-2 it’s not the end of the world, however the panic alarms will be ringing if they lose to the Sixers. There is no question of the talent in this batting line up, however the weight of expectation might be a burden on this side. Chris Lynn and Max Bryant have struggled at the top of the order and will need to find form quickly for the Heat to turn their season around.
Tom Banton was the shining in Friday’s loss against the Stars, with an explosive 64 from just 36 deliveries. Banton is in the form of his life after scoring 549 runs at an average of 42.23, with a strike rate of 161 in the Vitality T20 Blast during the English summer. Banton’s incredible form saw him earn selection for England in their T20 series against New Zealand. The 21 year old has a game suited for Australian pitches as he plays strongly of both the front and back foot and he always looks to take advantage of the fielding restrictions, he scored 16 from the first over against the Thunder. Expect fireworks from a red hot Banton.
Tom Banton top BRI batsman
$3.50
Prediction
Surprisingly the Sixers come into the fixture as the outsiders at home against a Brisbane Heat outfit that is terribly out of form. The Heat could play a side with three specialist spinners in an attempt to fix their issues with the depth of their bowling attack, however it could be a risky option against a Sixers side that is full of players that play spin well. The Sixers bowling attack gets even better with the inclusion of Jackson Bird. Both sides will take strong batting line ups into the game, however it’s the Sixers bowling attack that will give them the upper hand in this clash.
Sydney Sixers to win
$2.00
