A huge BBL rivalry reignites on Sunday, with the Sydney Sixers taking on the Perth Scorchers at the SCG.
These teams are ranked #1 and #2 in the tournament at the moment, as they have been in seasons past, so this is set to be a huge heavyweight battle.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and BBL betting tips below. And if you're looking for a new sports sportsbook to try, then why not back a winner with Neds today?
BBL12 Sydney Sixers vs Perth Scorchers Betting Tips
SCG, Sunday 15th January, 7:15pm (AEDT)
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Josh Phillipe, Kurtis Patterson, Steve Smith, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Dan Christian, Hayden Kerr, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy
Sydney will roll out the big guns on Sunday, with international stars Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon returning to the fore.
Both will be more than handy addition to the Sixers XI, bolstering the batting and bowling departments, respectively.
However, it’s not like the Sixers need reinforcements – the men in magenta have lost just one of their last five matches.
It’s been a team effort, with few individual standouts. Phillipe, Vince, Henriques and Silk have all made contributions with the bat at various points of the season, while Sean Abbott (16 wickets) has again led an attack that is stacked with quality.
While Sydney are in a good position, they will also understand that Perth is one of the teams to beat when it comes to taking out this year’s title, so plenty of focus will be going into performing well in this grudge match.
Perth Scorchers
Predicted XI: Steve Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Matt Kelly, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou
The Scorchers wagon is well and truly rolling, as the WA-based side has won three on the trot.
Title favouritism is nothing new to Perth, but they look hungry and set for another tilt at BBL glory.
Josh Inglis (313 runs) and Aaron Hardie (278 runs) are among the top scorers in the competition, while Andrew Tye leads the wicket-takers with 20 scalps to his name. In short, the Scorchers lineup is stacked with top-end talent.
That’s without mentioning the likes of Ashton Turner, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff and Ashton Agar, who round out a balanced, multi-skilled XI.
Given the recent fixture rush, I expect a couple of changes for this game, but Perth will go in at just about full strength, despite missing injured speedster Jhye Richardson.
Match Prediction
The bookies can’t split these sides heading into Sunday, and it’s easy to understand why.
While the Scorchers have been the team of the tournament so far, the Sixers get to host this one on home soil and will boast two huge inclusions.
The SCG pitch has shown some turn in recent matches, so the battle between the Perth and Sydney spinners will be fascinating.
Ultimately, I think the Scorchers have more variety in their lineup and more dependable batting personnel, so assuming that the Sixers don’t take several early wickets, I’m predicting yet another Perth win.
Perth Scorchers
$1.80 (2 units)
Same Game Multi
Tye has been in hot form recently, taking wickets for fun. He has 20 to his name this season and a fantastic role, bowling the death overs when wickets generally flow freely.
The Scorchers have been fantastic with the bat this season, and there is plenty of power in their arsenal. Hardie, Inglis and Turner specifically are very capable of clearing the rope, while for the Sixers Phillipe is the only real hard hitter.
Back to the well we go. The vast majority of wickets in BBL12 have been caught and I expect that trend to continue at the SCG on Sunday.
Player to Take 2+ Wickets – Andrew Tye
Most Sixers – Perth Scorchers
Method of First Dismissal – Caught
