BBL11 Heat vs Strikers Betting Tips
Gabba, Saturday January 12th, 7.15pm (AEDT)
Brisbane Heat
Likely XI: Chris Lynn, Lachlan Pfeffer, Ben Duckett, Sam Heazlett, Max Bryant, Jimmy Pierson, Jack Wildermuth, Xavier Bartlett, Mark Steketee, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Paddy Dooley
The Heat have nine players returning from Covid protocols, and with some strong performances from replacement players in their last match, they’ve got a strong squad to choose from. Lachlan Pffeffer and Paddy Dooley should hold their spots in the side, but there will likely be six or seven changes to the side that played against the Hurricanes. They’ll still be without Fakhar Azam due to Queensland’s border restrictions, the Pakistani will rejoin the side when they head to Melbourne for the remainder of BBL11.
The Heat were brave in defeat against the Hurricanes on Saturday night, as Lachlan Pfeffer made a name for himself with 69 off 51 deliveries. David Grant once again showed plenty of promise with the ball, while Paddy Dooley’s unorthodox action is a weapon the Heat should be utilising for the remainder of the season, particularly on the dry pitches in Victoria.
The Heat will be looking forward to getting some of their first choice bowlers back in the likes of Stekete, Bartlett and Wildermuth. Coming up against a Strikers batting unit that has struggled badly this season, and that will be without Matt Renshaw, there’s a golden opportunity for the Heat to run through the Strikers if they take early wickets.
Adelaide Strikers
Likely XI: Matt Short, Henry Hunt, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Thomas Kelly, Ryan Gibson, Rashid Khan, Harry Nielsen, Wes Agar, Peter Siddle, Fawad Ahmed
Matthew Renshaw will remain out of the side due to Covid protocols, and given the performance by the Strikers bowlers to keep them in the game against the Stars it’s difficult to see many changes to the eleven that played on Monday. Wes Agar will likely come back into this side for Harry Conway, who conceded 37 runs from his four overs on Monday.
As it has all season, the Strikers batting let them down again in their five wicket loss to the Stars on Monday. The Strikers were held to 9/139, with the Strikers bowling attack doing a valid job taking the game to the last over. Jono Wells’ 68 was the only score above 15, and the Strikers only managed 11 runs in the power surge as Harry Nielsen chewed up seven balls in the surge for just three runs.
Rashid Khan (1/16) and Peter Siddle (2/26) led the way with the ball for the Strikers, and they’ll need to produce again if they’re to have any chance of winning this game. Khan has had an underwhelming season by his high standards, but he’ll be confident against a Heat batting unit that will be largely lacking match practice.
Match Predicition
It’s been a rough week for the Heat, but with a number of players returning to the squad, they’re definitely a chance in this clash. After seeing how the Stars performed against the Strikers even without Stoinis, Maxwell and Coulter-Nile the Heat will be full of confidence that they can get the job done over the bottom side.
The Strikers have averaged only 151 runs per game this season, and have lost seven of their last eight games. They’ve lost their last two against the Heat, including a 39 run defeat at the Adelaide Oval where the Heat piled on 7/208. The Strikers simply haven't been able to put up winning scores, and it’s hard to see that changing anytime soon.
The batting depth the Heat have at their disposal gives them a massive advantage in this clash, and Mujeeb will cause havoc against the inexperienced Strikers batsman. It’s a crucial clash for the Heat to cement themselves in the top four, and they’ll be too good for the Strikers that are yet to win away from home this season.
Same Game Multi
These two sides have been very inconsistent this season, so it’s important not to get too carried away with the individual run scorers. For the first leg, we’ve got the Heat to score more than 145 runs. The Strikers have conceded an average score of 170 in their last eight games, and on a Gabba surface that is excellent for batting, the Heat shouldn’t have any issues passing that mark.
For the second leg, we’ve got Matt Short to score 10+ runs. Short has been a shining light for the Strikers this season, scoring 265 runs to rank as the 13th highest run scorer in BBL11. Our BBL Data Tools show us that Short has hit the 10+ mark in eight of his ten innings this season.
To round out the multi, we’re sticking with the first dismissal being caught, which has occured in over 80% of matches in BBL11, and eight of the Heat’s ten games this season.
Brisbane Heat 145+ Runs
Short 10+ Runs
1st Wicket - Caught
HEA vs STR Same Game Multi
$2.75
