The Melbourne Stars started their BBL13 campaign in the worst possible fashion, copping a belting from the Brisbane Heat, and now they must face the might of the Perth Scorchers without Glenn Maxwell.
Wet and wild conditions are on the cards in Melbourne on Wednesday night, so pack an umbrella if you plan on heading to the MCG!
We'll have a heap of BBL13 content for you this season including BBL tips for every match and regular fantasy BBL for contests on Draftstars to help you land the big cash in the $50,000 Big Bash Star 2024 Final!
Draftstars have put up a huge $20,000 contest for this clash, as well as a Big Bash Star Qualifier.
And if you haven't already, make sure to check out our full Stars vs Scorchers preview and betting tips!
BBL13 Fantasy Tips: Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers
Stars Squad: Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Liam Dawson, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Jono Merlo, Usama Mir, Joel Paris, Haris Rauf, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Beau Webster
Scorchers Squad: Ashton Turner, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Stephen Eskinazi, Laurie Evans, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Hamish McKenzie, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman
The Stars picked up from where they left off last season in Game 1, succumbing to the Heat by 103 runs in a disappointing display.
Every bowler was targeted as Brisbane blasted their way to 3/214, while only Hilton Cartwright (33 off 16) was able to make an impact with the bat as the men in green crumbled.
Unfortunately for the Stars, things only get more difficult for their second encounter, in which they will face the reigning champions without Maxwell at the helm. Australia’s World Cup hero has suffered a forearm injury that will see him miss 1-2 weeks, leaving Stoinis to take over at the helm.
All-rounder Nathan Coulter-Nile also misses through injury, so depth will be tested early in this one, although speedster Haris Rauf is available to make his BBL return.
Conversely, it was a bizarre start to Perth’s title defence on Sunday night, as their game against the Melbourne Renegades was abandoned after less than seven overs due to an unsafe pitch. Water made it’s way under the covers at GMHBA Stadium after a downpour on Saturday, producing a farcical situation on Sunday evening.
Nevertheless, the Scorchers will be keen to build momentum against the Stars, heading to the MCG with an unchanged squad.
Ashton Agar, Crawley, Mitch Marsh and Lance Morris are unavailable again.
Fantasy Plays
Love It – Hamish McKenzie ($8,800)
The MCG is renowned as a spin to win venue, so youngster Hamish McKenzie is in a great position to show off his skills on debut. The Stars have a very fragile batting line-up, and at under $9k it’s hard to resist a Scorchers bowler who should feature prominently on Wednesday night.
Love It – Aaron Hardie ($19,300)
I’m jumping straight back on the Hardie train here, for the same reasons that I outlined a few days ago. One of Perth’s key players, Hardie averaged 42 runs per game in BBL12 and is set to bowl more regularly with Lance Morris and Mitch Marsh out of the side. As such, expect him to have a massive impact again in BBL13.
Don’t Love It – Thomas Rogers ($13,300)
Rogers faces a difficult assignment on Wednesday, with Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson set to take the new ball for Perth. While Rogers has been serviceable at this level since making the jump from grade cricket, he hasn’t shown a massive ceiling and I’m not expecting a standout performance here.
Don’t Love It – Nick Hobson ($8,000)
Hobson was listed at number seven on the Scorchers team sheet on Sunday, and that is hardly a DFS friendly role. It’s improbable that Perth’s batting will be seriously tested against the Stars, so I can’t see Hobson getting much of an opportunity to impress.
Who Knows – Marcus Stoinis ($17,400)
It’s been a tough few months for the big Stoin, who fell out of favour with the national team and ultimately ended up missing out on Australia’s World Cup triumph. As such, he enters this BBL with a point to prove, so will we once again see the big hitting best of Marcus Stoinis?
Suggested Draftstars Line-up
