The Hobart Hurricanes will host the Sydney Sixers in a must-win clash at Blundstone Arena on Monday.
Despite entering the tournament as favourites, the Hurricanes have struggled throughout BBL12 and will have to be at their best to beat the high-flying Sixers.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and BBL12 betting tips below.
BBL12 Hurricanes vs Sixers Preview & Betting Tips
Blundstone Arena, Monday 23rd January, 7:15pm (AEDT)
Hobart Hurricanes
Predicted XI: Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Zak Crawley, Matthew Wade, Tim David, D’Arcy Short, Mitchell Owen, Faheem Ashraf, Nathan Ellis, Paddy Dooley, Riley Meredith
Hobart have lost their last two games, and are now in serious danger of missing the BBL12 finals.
It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Hurricanes, who entered this season with high hopes and a squad stacked with talent.
Unfortunately, many of those talented individuals have underperformed – McDermott, Short and Meredith particularly would all have hoped for better returns.
On the flipside, wildcard spinner Paddy Dooley has been a revelation, and Tim David has demonstrated why he is a key member of Australia’s T20 squad with some powerful middle order hitting.
Nevertheless, a couple of team performances will be required to elevate Hobart into the top five.
Hurricanes fans will be hoping that Dooley returns for this match, and also that leaders McDermott and Ellis can fire in this do-or-die clash.
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Josh Phillipe, Steve Smith, Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Dan Christian, Hayden Kerr, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy
The Sixers were already surging towards another BBL title before Steve Smith returned, but since he has joined the side, they have gone to another level.
Smith has belted consecutive tons and incredibly averages 131 in BBL12, a stats sheet that most batsmen can only dream of. The Aussie dynamo has helped the Sixers to chalk up five wins on the trot, and they don’t look like slowing down.
Sean Abbott has 23 wickets in 12 matches and the likes of Phillipe, Silk, Dwarshuis and O’Keeffe have all contributed regularly, providing Sydney with a stable base in every game.
Only the Scorchers look like they can stop the Sixers from claiming another title, and the men in magenta will be expecting to a win a game like this against lesser opposition. However, given the position that the Sixers are in, I wouldn’t be surprised if some key players are rested for this encounter.
Match Prediction
The Sixers are hot favourites for this game, and it’s easy to see why.
Given the inconsistency of the Hurricanes and Sydney’s recent dominance, all the indicators point to a Sixers win.
Furthermore, Sydney won the only clash between these sides this season, defeating the Hurricanes by 6 runs in a tight affair.
The only question mark that hangs over this game is whether the Sixers do indeed rest some players. For example, if players like Smith or Abbott miss, then this becomes a more difficult tip to make.
Regardless, assuming there aren’t wholesale changes, the Sixers should be too strong for Hobart, ending their campaign.
Sydney Sixers
$1.57 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Smith has hit this mark in every one of his BBL12 games so far, scoring 262 runs at 131. Considering he is in such rare form, 20+ isn’t much to ask.
Both these teams have ample batting talent, led by Smith for the Sixers and McDermott for the Hurricanes. Regardless of which side bats first, I’m expecting a strong first innings total.
Assuming Abbott plays, he should feast on a fragile Hurricanes batting line-up on Monday. The experienced quick has taken 23 wickets this season at an average of nearly two per game, so it won’t take a standout performance for Abbott to strike twice.
Player to Score 20+ Runs – Steve Smith
1st Innings Total Runs – 155+
Player to Take 2+ Wickets– Sean Abbott
