We are in for a cracking match Saturday night as Blundstone Arena plays host to a clash between two sides who will be looking to continue their march towards the BBL finals. The Hobart Hurricanes take on the Melbourne Stars where both teams will be looking for a crucial victory.
Hobart come into this off a thrilling last-ball win against the Brisbane Heat where their bowlers managed to defend a sub-par total of 150. The Stars have hit a rough patch in the tournament and will be looking to avoid a third straight loss to get their campaign back on track.
The Hurricanes have been impressive this season considering D’arcy Short has been struggling for form which has seen the likes of Tim David and new recruit Dawid Malan stand up. Riley Meredith has been unplayable at times with the ball in hand and will play a massive role in the outcome of tonight’s match.
The Stars head into this off two losses courtesy of both Sydney teams. They somehow lost against the Sixers conceding 20 off the last over while they were completely outplayed against the Thunder the other night. You can guarantee Maxwell and his men will be ready to fire here and avoid a third straight loss.
BBL10 Hurricanes vs Stars Betting Tips
Blundstone Arena, Saturday 5.05pm (AEDT)
Hurricanes Squad: Scott Boland, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, David Moody, D Arcy Short, Macalister Wright, Wil Parker, Dawid Malan, Colin Ingram, Mitchell Owen, Will Jacks, Keemo Paul, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nick Winter, Tim David, Jarrod Freeman
Stars Squad: Glenn Maxwell (c), Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Clint Hinchliffe, Nic Maddinson, Jonathan Merlo, Lance Morris, Tom O Connell, Will Pucovski, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Nicholas Pooran, Zahir Khan, Jackson Coleman, Nick Larkin
Match Prediction
Both teams will be desperate to come out with the win here tonight as the race towards the BBL finals shapes up. The Stars will be looking to jump back into the top 4 while the Hurricanes could even jump into 2nd, depending on other results.
I can’t see Melbourne losing three straight matches and their desperation may just get them over the line here tonight. With the roster they have, another loss will not be up to scratch with the expectations they hold as a leading franchise. Pressure will be on Maxwell and Stoinis who have shown glimpses of their class this tournament but they haven’t been able to put it all together consistently.
On top of this, the Stars have a dominant record against the Hurricanes winning a massive 9 of the 13 matches that these two sides have played in. They love going up against the ‘Canes and will be keen to extend that winning history over them.
The addition of West Indies international Nicholas Pooran has also been a welcome change while star leg-spinner Adam Zampa is starting to regain some form. While it looks a close match on paper, the Melbourne Stars demand a level of excellence and you can guarantee their big guns will make sure they deliver here tonight.
Hobart Hurricanes Prop Bet
Hobart have been putting in solid performances all year and will be reasonably happy with how their season is travelling at the moment. A big part of their success has been the ability of their middle-order to stand up in crucial moments while their bowlers have been clinical throughout.
We’re gonna focus on a player mentioned at the top of the preview in Riley Meredith. Whenever you can bowl the ball at over 150km/h you are always going to be an issue to opposition batsmen. The biggest part of his game though is that he has finally managed to find a bit of consistency now and has used his change ups really well this season.
Meredith sits as the equal leading wicket-taker in BBL10 with 10 wickets from 6 matches and will look to continue his brilliant run of form here against the Stars.
Meredith Top HUR Wicket Taker
$3.75
Melbourne Stars Prop Bet
I’ve spoken a lot about the Stars being desperate to perform in this match and the pressure will be on their big guns to make sure they get the win here. With that being said, I am giving our man Marcus Stoinis another go.
Stoinis smashed a brilliant 81 from 50-odd balls against the ’canes last season and comes into this after top-scoring for the Stars last match, albeit with only 27. He will be a crucial factor in the outcome of the match and will want to get his team off to the best start possible whether setting or chasing a score.
I think there is only three real chances to top score in the Stars line-up with Maxwell and Pooran the obvious dangers. The fact Stoinis will get first look at the bowlers and his strong record against Hobart, makes me inclined to side with him again here.
Stoinis Top STA Runscorer
$3.30
