Round 3 of BBL06 kicks off Thursday night as Renegade recruit Brad Hogg faces his old team in the Scorchers for the first time since moving to Melbourne. We’ve got a preview and big bash betting tips for that game, plus the three others in Round 3 below.
BBL06 Round 3 Betting Tips
Melbourne Renegades vs Perth Scorchers (Thursday 29th, 7.10pm AEDT)
The Renegades will play their 2nd match of the tournament in the opener to round three against the Scorchers. The Perth side will be out for blood as they come up against former marquee player in Bradley Hogg for the first time since his departure from the club this offseason. Hogg played at the Scorchers in all five previous seasons of the BBL, leading them to the finals in all but one season, and capturing two titles along the way.
The Scorchers have replaced him with arguably the BBL’s biggest off season signing, however, as recent Test retiree Mitchell Johnson returns home to Perth to spearhead the Scorcher attack. Although Johnson has missed the Scorchers first two outings, which resulted in a 1-1 record, Perth will be hoping to get him back on the field as they go up against a dominant Renegades batting lineup.
Aaron Finch was dominant in the Renegades opening game against the Thunder, smashing 63 off 37 balls to propel the Melbourne side to a total of 179, which was 49 to many for Sydney. Finch, along with the bowling of spinning duo Hogg and Sunil Narine, who took 4-54 off their combined 8 overs proved to be the difference in the end. If they can consistently go for around 50 off their 8 overs, which is not a difficult task for bowlers of their talent, the Renegades will be tough to beat going forward.
TIP: Melbourne Renegades to Win - $1.83 at CrownBet
Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes (Friday 30th, 7.10pm AEDT)
As of writing this, the Heat still have one game to play before their Round 3 home clash against the Hurricanes on Friday night. The Heat currently sit at 1-0 going into their 2nd match against the Thunder on Wednesday. If the Heat were to lose on Wednesday, both them and the Hurricanes would be 1-1 heading into the game on Friday.
The Heat surprised many in Round 1 as they blasted over 200 in their match against the Strikers. Their bowling looked a touch out of sorts for a lot of the match, however, as the let the strikers come within 10 runs of their total. It was the bowling of West Indian spinner Samuel Badree that was the difference in the end, as he went for only 22 off his allotted 4 overs. The Heat boast a imposing lineup with the bat. I was worried that Brendan McCullum would not be able to recapture his form after a little while out of the game, however, he looked in good touch with Jimmy Peirson, Chris Lynn and Alex Ross making up a formidable top 4.
The Hurricanes smashed the Sixers by a whopping 60 runs in their season opener as Tim Paine showed why he’s been one of Australia’s premier domestic batsman for years now. He compiled a classy 63 off 45 balls while opening partner D’Arcy Short smashed 61 off just 29 balls to set up a massive total of 200 for the canes which proved to be too much for the Sixers. Although the Hurricanes were good again with the bat in their second clash against the Stars, the total of 188 setup by Paine (91) and George Bailey (74) proved not enough to claim victory. However, I wouldn’t be deterred if you were a Hobart fan. Both batting performances have been top notch, and they have proven even when they lose quick wickets they have the depth to go on and make big totals, which is a recipe for success in the T20 format. I like them to win this one away from home and go to 2-1 on the season.
TIP: Hobart Hurricanes to Win - $2.08 at CrownBet
Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers (Saturday 31st, 7.10pm AEDT)
The Sixers sit atop the BBL Table with two wins from their three games so far while one of my picks to finish high, the Adelaide Strikers are struggling at 0-2 and in equal last place so far. Although still possible, if Adelaide go 0-3 in this game, it will be a very long road back if they were hoping to play finals in BBL06, the Sixers on the other hand, have surprised many, including me, who picked them to have a poor year. They have won two of their games in dominant fashion through excellent displays with the ball, bowling out the Thunder for 159 on opening night and the Scorchers for 130 in their last match.
To think that this is essentially the Sixers 2nd bowling unit, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird all to push for selection if international duties were no concern, makes it an even more respectable feat. However, I do think they have come up against two of the weaker batting sides in the comp so far, and we saw what could happen if a side that was a bit stronger with the bat got a hold of them as the Hurricanes blasted 200 to hand the Sixers their only loss so far.
While they haven’t got the wins on the board so far, the Strikers have proved they are a solid batting unit. Ben Dunk looks a great offseason recruit as he scored 85 in the Strikers opening match as they fell just short of Brisbane’s total of 206. Combine him with Bad Hodge, Travis Head and Kieron Pollard and you would have to think some wins are coming sooner or later. This is, after all, the team that finished atop the BBL05 ladder.
TIP: Adelade Strikers to Win - $1.83 at Sportsbet
Melbourne Stars vs Melbourne Renegades (Sunday 1st, 6.10pm AEDT)
The biggest matchup in BBL is by far the Melbourne Derby between the Stars and the Renegades. Much like that of Victory vs City in the A-League, this matchup has become one of big vs little brother. The Stars have been a dominant force in BBL throughout its history, only failing to make finals on one occasion, while the Renegades are the complete opposite, only making finals once in it’s five-year span.
The Stars will be looking to go one further this year and claim that elusive BBL title. I’ve picked them to win it all, and they showed on Monday night why they are quite capable of doing so. Set a respectable 188 to win by the Hobart Hurricanes, the Stars absolutely dismantled their bowling attack, and chased down the total with a ridiculous 14 balls to spare. They did all of this without their leading run scorer from BBL05, Kevin Peitersen in the lineup, who opted to stay home in England for Christmas. He will come back into the fold for the Derby, making it all the more difficult for the Renegades to squad.
As we discussed above, the Renegades spinners will go a long way to determing the outcome of most of their matches. Hogg and Narine are both world class. I just think their batting performances relies too much on the shoulders of too few. If Finch and Cam White fail to make runs, the Renegades are limited for options. In my opinion, a strong batting lineup is more crucial to success in a T20 than a strong bowling lineup, and the Stars have that, proving they can bat all the way down to number eight. They should be too strong for the Renegades in this one.
TIP: Melbourne Stars to Win – $1.68 at CrownBet
