Melbourne star vs Sydney thunder (MLSvSYT): The 7th Match of KFC BBL 2021-22 will be played between these two teams MLS vs SYT, The match will begin on 10 December 2021 at 01:45 PM IST.
Key Points:
- Melbourne Stars have a stronger batting lineup
- Sydney Thunder has a very good bowling attack but it looks to be one batsman short in its current avatar
- The Stars should be strengthened by the return of Stoinis and Russell for this match
Team Analysis:
The Melbourne Stars got off to the worst start imaginable as they suffered the biggest defeat in Big Bash history. However, BBL 2021-22 has just started and there is plenty of time for it to make a comeback. It will be playing against Sydney Thunder in this next match. Thunder to off to a winning start by dispatching a poor Brisbane Heat team with quite some ease.
The cricket betting sites have picked the Melbourne Stars as the favorite for this match but not by much.
Match Details:
Date: December 10, 2021
Time: 01:45 PM (IST)
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia
Live Streaming: Sony LIV App
TV: Sony Sports Network
Pitch and Weather Conditions:
The square at the MCG has undergone a revamp and the pitch has been playing much better than in previous seasons. We are hopeful of a surface that has a nice amount of pace and carry to allow the batsmen the freedom o play their shots. The spinners are still going to play a big role but we could see scores of around 160 in this match.
Team Preview:
Melbourne star (MLS):
Melbourne Stars would do very well to completely forget the horror show that was their opening fixture. The bowlers seemed to have started well before losing the plot completely and just losing their lengths completely. The batsmen were never able to cope with the pressure of chasing and collapsed like a house of cards.
We don’t think the Melbourne Stars should be written off just yet, though.
Marcus Stoinis is expected to be back for this match. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Joe Burns may also be back adding some batting depth. The Stars also have Andre Russell available to them for five matches (starting with this one against Thunder) and that could be a big boost.
At full-strength, the Melbourne Stars certainly have the batting to be able to make a better first of things.
The bowling lineup should also be improved with the addition of Coulter-Nile and maybe Qais Ahmad. Treat this match as the beginning of the season for the Melbourne Stars.
Likely XI: Joe Clarke, Peter Nevill, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, BJ Webster, Samuel Elliott, Sam Rainbird, Adam Zampa, Brody Couch, Syed Faridoun.
Please check the team once when Playing XI Announced.
Sydney Thunder (SYT):
Sydney Thunder was never really threatened by Brisbane Heat in its opening match of BBL 2021-22. The bowlers picked regular wickets and never let the score get out of hand while the batsmen recovered from a poor start to eventually win the match by seven wickets.
There were a couple of things that stood out to us from that match. Sydney Thunder seems to be playing with one batsman short and its balance does not seem right. Daniel Sams is useful with the bat but he is batting far too high at number six. Alex Ross at number five is not the most dependable either, even though he played a brilliant inning in the previous game.
If Alex Hales does not find form quickly, Thunder could struggle against some of the better teams in the BBL.
The bowling attack did quite well in the previous match. Daniel Sams has this amazing ability to pick up wickets and started with three in the previous match as well. Tanveer Sangha, Gurinder Sandhu, Ben Cutting, and Nathan McAndrew could struggle against power-hitters like Maxwell, Stoinis, and Russell in this match.
We like Sydney Thunder as a team but it just feels to be a bit imbalanced right now and its bowlers do not match up well against the Stars batting lineup.
Likely XI: Josh Philippe, James Vince, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Jordan Silk, DT Christian, Tom Curran, Hayden Kerr, Chris Jordan, Benjamin Manenti, Steve O’Keefe.
Please check the team once when Playing XI Announced.
Squads:
Melbourne Star Squad: Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Seb Gotch, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchliffe, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (c), Tom O’Connell, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Joe Burns, Sam Rainbird, Joe Clarke, Qais Ahmad (joining after the conclusion of Abu Dhabi T10 League), Sam Elliot, Beau Webster
Sydney Thunder Squad: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Carlos Brathwaite, Dan Christian, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Ben Manenti, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, James Vince, Steve O’Keefe