The Renegades will host the Stars in the second Melbourne Derby of BBL13, with the men in green needing a win to secure their spot in the final four.
It’s been a tough campaign for the lowly Renegades, but surely they will lift to give retiring champion Aaron Finch a fitting send off at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and betting tips below.
BBL13 Renegades vs Stars Betting Tips
Marvel Stadium, Saturday 13th January, 7:30pm (AEDT)
Melbourne Renegades
It’s been a grim season for the Renegades, who sit bottom of the table with just two games to play.
Hopes of another finals appearance were high pre-season, but the big names have underperformed, namely Quinton De Kock, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson.
Furthermore, I struggle to see the men in red finishing strongly, especially considering De Kock’s stint is over.
West Indies all-rounder Akeal Hosein is back for the final two games after performing well in BBL12 – it will be interesting to see how he combines with Zampa against the Stars.
I also expect Aaron Finch to feature in the XI after the announcement that he will retire at season’s end, bringing an exceptional career to a close.
Could Finch’s retirement be enough to spark the Renegades into action? It remains to be seen.
Predicted XI: Jordan Cox, Shaun Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Finch, Jono Wells, Will Sutherland, Akeal Hosein, Tom Rogers, Fergus O’Neill, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
Melbourne Stars
The Stars are locked in a tight tussle with Adelaide and the Sydney Sixers for the final two spots in the top four, with the Melbourne-based side needing to win at least one more game.
It’s been a season of two halves for the men in green, who lost their opening three matches before going on a four-game unbeaten run which ended last Saturday.
The batting group has been responsible for the return to form – the Stars have four batsmen inside the top 20 run scorers (Maxwell, Webster, Cartwright, Rogers) compared to just one bowler, who ironically is Maxwell.
As such, the return of seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile after a long injury layoff will be warmly welcomed, although the Stars really miss the services of Haris Rauf who provides raw pace in an XI stacked with medium pacers.
The phrase that ‘bowling wins trophies’ gets bandied around a lot, so it will be interesting to see how Melbourne’s batting-heavy side goes at the pointy end of this campaign.
Predicted XI: Tom Rogers, Dan Lawrence, Beau Webster, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, Imad Wasim, Sam Harper, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Joel Paris, Scott Boland
Match Prediction
The Stars took out the first derby of BBL13 in convincing fashion, and the punters are backing them to do the same on Saturday.
It’s unsurprising considering the ladder positions of these two teams, and the gulf in batting firepower between the two.
While the Renegades actually appear to have better bowling options on paper, their ineffectiveness with the bat will be telling in this encounter. As such, another loss in on the cards.
Melbourne Stars to Win
$1.65 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Jake Fraser-McGurk has been a shining light in a dark season for the Renegades, entertaining fans with his free-spirited ball striking. JFM has hit 16 maximums this campaign, the second most in the league, and he presents great value to add to the tally on Saturday.
Like Fraser-McGurk, Maxwell has been one of the most explosive batters in BBL13, clearing the boundary 11 times. With a finals spot on the line, I expect the Stars leaders to stand up, and Maxwell will be front and centre.
Match Betting – Melbourne Stars
Player to Hit 1+ Sixes – Glenn Maxwell
Player to Hit 1+ Sixes – Jake Fraser-McGurk
