The Perth Scorchers are back on top of the BBL12 table after a convincing victory over the Hurricanes, and now they will travel to Adelaide to take on the out-of-form Strikers.
Since welcoming back Travis Head and Alex Carey, the Strikers have recorded consecutive defeats, so they are desperate for a win to sure up their spot in the top five.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and BBL12 betting tips below.
BBL12 Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers Betting Tips
Adelaide Oval, Friday 20th January, 4:30pm (AEDT)
Adelaide Strikers
Predicted XI: Matt Short, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Adam Hose, Colin De Grandhomme, Thomas Kelly, Ben Manenti, Cameron Boyce, Wes Agar, Henry Thornton, Peter Siddle
The Strikers are in danger of falling out of the top five after losing three games in succession.
Adelaide’s batting has noticeably dropped off since the departure of big-hitter Chris Lynn, the Strikers scoring just 108, 137 and 143 in those games. However, all is not lost. International stars Head and Carey have not yet found form, but if they do then the batting order looks solid enough, even without Lynn’s power.
Also, the Strikers return to Adelaide Oval for this game against the Scorchers, a venue where they have thrived. For example, Matt Short has produced three scores over 65 at home, compared to none over 40 away.
Reliable quick Peter Siddle is also likely to come back into the XI for this game, replacing one member of a pace attack that has been expensive in recent matches. Nevertheless, the Scorchers are the toughest opponent in the BBL right now, so Adelaide will have to be on top of their game to claim the points here.
Perth Scorchers
Predicted XI: Stephen Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Matthew Kelly, Jason Behrendorff, David Payne, Lance Morris
The Scorchers showed yet again why they are the team to beat in BBL12 with a huge win over the Hurricanes.
Lance Morris (2-21) and Andrew Tye (2-30) were amongst the wickets as Perth restricted Hobart to 146, before rising all-rounder Aaron Hardie smashed 90* off 62 balls to guide his team home.
Josh Inglis (53 off 35) also starred with the bat – he and Hardie are now ranked #3 and #4 for runs scored this season.
The 7-wicket win demonstrated why the Scorchers are so well-placed to go all the way again in 2023.
Perth are consistently performing with the ball thanks to a well-managed battery of quality quicks, while a settled batting group are also producing the goods on a regular basis.
For this game, I expect veteran Andrew Tye to be rested ahead of a huge finals campaign, with one of David Payne or Peter Hatzoglou coming in.
While the Strikers love playing at home, it’s no surprise that Perth will go into this one as favourites.
Match Prediction
This shapes up as a fascinating encounter.
As previously mentioned, the punter are backing Perth, which is hardly a surprise given the respective form of these teams and the fact that the Scorchers have won three of the last four games played between these two teams.
The Strikers have really struggled without Lynn and Rashid Khan, and the loss of the latter has seriously weakened Adelaide’s bowling attack, which pales in comparison to the quality of Perth’s. However, all that it takes for the Strikers to get the upper hand in this game is for one of Short, Head or Carey to display their talents and make a big score.
As such, I’m hesitant to be too confident in my prediction, but it’s hard to go past the Scorchers.
Perth Scorchers
$1.60 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Short has scored 25+ in five of his last six BBL matches, and he particularly thrives on home soil. The Strikers leader will have to play a key role if his team are to win on Friday.
Lance Morris has been solid since returning to the Scorchers XI, taking six wickets in three games. While the tearaway quick can be expensive, he is a proven wicket-taker who has not gone wicketless yet this campaign.
I’m backing the Strikers openers to get the better start again on Friday. Short and Head are an elite opening pairing, and both love playing at Adelaide Oval. On the other hand, Eskinazi and Bancroft have both been inconsistent.
Player to Score 25+ Runs – Matt Short
Player to Take 1+ Wickets – Lance Morris
Highest Opening Partnership – Adelaide Strikers
