For the second time in five days the Hurricanes and Heat face off, as the two sides face off in a massive clash on Wednesday afternoon! The Heat have secured their finals berth, while the Hurricanes must win to keep their finals hopes alive.
Jack Tobin is on deck with his preview and tips for an early start in Launceston, and be sure to check out BeforeYouBet's BBL Tips page, for previews and tips of every game of BBL12. If you're going to have a Dabble, why not bet with Dabble?
BBL12 Hurricanes vs Heat Preview & Betting Tips
UTAS Stadium, Wednesday 25th January, 1:40pm (AEDT)
Hobart Hurricanes
Predicted XI: Ben McDermott, Caleb Jewell, Zak Crawley, Matthew Wade, Tim David, D'Arcy Short, Mitchell Owen, Faheem Ashraf, Joel Paris, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith
After a 12 run loss to the Heat on Friday and a 24 run loss to the Sixers on Monday, the Hurricanes sit in seventh place on the BBL table, needing a lot to go their way if they are to finish inside the top five. The Hurricanes are on twelve points with a net run rate of -0.373, and will need a loss from either the Renegades or Thunder, combined with a huge win over the Heat to boost their net run rate.
The Hurricanes were on the end of another stunning innings from Steve Smith, who’s 66 from 33 deliveries proved to be the difference. The Hurricanes could never get going in the chase, which has seen them lose three consecutive games at the worst time possible. The Hurricanes batting unit has faltered at the most important part of the season, producing scores of 9/147, 6/150 and 8/156 in their last three games
Given the net run rate the Hurricanes will need to make up to jump into the top five, expect the Hurricanes to come out all guns blazing. With the likes of Ben McDermott, Matthew Wade, Zak Crawley and Tim David, the Hurricanes are well and truly capable of posting a big score, which will be required.
Brisbane Heat
Predicted XI: Usman Khawaja, Josh Brown, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Sam Hain, Jimmy Peirson, James Bazley, Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson, Mitch Swepson, Matt Kuhnemann
Only eight days ago, the Heat were second last on the BBL table, with a last ball win over the Stars keeping their slim finals hopes alive. Fast forward just over a week, the Heat have won three consecutive games and have secured a finals position. It’s been a remarkable turn around, with their last two wins in particular coming off the back of strong bowling performances.
Spencer Johnson has been a revelation in the second half of the season, and has delivered two clutch final overs in the Heat’s last two games. The Heat won their last two games by twelve and five runs, with Johnson conceding just five and nine runs respectively from the twentieth over in each game.
The Heat loom as a dangerous side in the finals series given the star power they possess with the likes of Khawaja, Labuschagne, Renshaw and Nesser. The Heat have always had dangerous batting sides, but with the bowling now coming to the party in the second half of the season, the Heat can make a legitimate push for the title this season. They’ve got an excellent spin duo in Mitch Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann, while Michael Nesser has been one of the most dangerous bowlers in the competition with the new ball this season. If Johnson and James Bazely can keep up their form, the Heat will be right amongst it.
Match Prediction
The Hurricanes are going to have to win by a significant margin to make up the required gap on net run rate to give themselves a chance to secure a spot in the top five. It’s not an impossible task, however it’s made more difficult by the fact that this game is being played in Launceston. In seven games at Launceston, the Hurricanes average a score of 144, and haven’t produced a score of over 172 at the venue.
The Heat have won five of the last seven fixtures between the two teams, and with the Hurricanes having to play ultra aggressive in this clash, it’s going to open up plenty of opportunities for the Heat with both bat and ball. The Heat are outstanding value in this clash against an out of form Hurricanes side, the Heat will carry their strong momentum through to the finals with a fourth consecutive win.
Brisbane Heat
$2.05 (1 Unit)
Same Game Multi
Zak Crawley has had a great start to his BBL career, scoring 182 runs at an average of 30 from his first seven games for the Hurricanes. Crawley has been ultra agressive every time he's come out to bat, and has passed the 10 run mark in six of his seven games in BBL12. Crawley top scored for the Hurricanes in their last outing with 49, and has been a reliable selection in the 10+ run market this season.
Michael Nesser has been outstanding for the Heat since he returned from the Test squad, ranking seventh in BBL12 for wickets. Nesser has produced two massive performances when the Heat have needed it most in two of their last two games, with returns of 4/25 and 3/27. Nesser has taken multiple wickets in five of his twelve games this season, and will be set for another strong performance against the Hurricanes.
Since returning to the Test squad after the new year, Matthew Renshaw has been on fire for the Brisbane Heat. Renshaw’s five games since returning to the Heat side has seen him score 27, 25, 90*, 41 and 7. Renshaw has been one of the biggest factors in the Heat’s charge towards the finals, and will be looking for a another big score against the Canes.
Zak Crawley 10+ Runs
Michael Nesser 2+ Wickets
Matthew Renshaw 10+ Runs
