Nothing says a Monday night in summer like a bumper BBL contest, and that’s exactly what the Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers are set to deliver!
The Sixers are already off to a flying start in their pursuit of another BBL title, and Hobart will be hoping to score a win in their first match of the new campaign.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and betting tips below.
BBL13 Betting Tips
Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers
UTAS Stadium, Monday 11th December, 7:15pm (AEDT)
Hobart Hurricanes
Hobart underperformed last campaign, finishing sixth and missing out on finals.
Despite having a decent enough squad on paper, the Hurricanes could not put it together and significant squad changes have resulted.
D’Arcy Short has departed to Adelaide, while international signings Sam Hain, Corey Anderson and Chris Jordan will all pull on Hurricanes colours for the first time.
Overall, it’s hard to tell whether Hobart have actually improved their list or not, but time will tell.
Local heroes Ben McDermott, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Wade and Tim David should all play in Round 1 alongside the imports, so a strong start to the season is not out of the question.
Predicted XI: Jewell, McDermott, Wade (wk), Hain, David, Anderson, Jordan, Ellis, Dooley, Meredith, Stanlake
Sydney Sixers
The Sydney Sixers kicked off their BBL13 campaign in fine style, downing the Melbourne Renegades by eight runs in a close encounter.
Steve Smith picked up from where he left off last season, smashing 61 off 42 as the men in magenta powered to 6/175.
Experienced middle order operators Moises Henriques (40 off 32) and Jordan Silk (26* off 14) both struck the ball well, sending a message to the rest of the competition that the Sixers will be a force yet again this season.
Sydney’s bowling riches have always been well documented, and on this occasion it was Ben Dwarshuis who did the heavy lifting, taking 3/36 to ensure the Renegades didn’t spoil the party.
It was a convincing performance from the Sixers, but they will have to dig deeper on Monday, as both Smith (international duty) and Sean Abbott (personal reasons) will be absent from the playing XI.
Either Kurtis Patterson or Daniel Hughes should take Smith’s spot at the top of the order, while Todd Murphy is available after playing for the Prime Minister’s XI, and could get the nod over the reserve quicks.
Predicted XI: Philippe (wk), Patterson, Vince, Henriques, Silk, Edwards, Curran, Dwarshuis, Murphy, O’Keefe, J.Bird
Match Prediction
It’s hard to know what to expect from Hobart at this point in the competition, but I like the look of their opening round squad on paper.
Batters McDermott, Wade and David have all been heavily involved in the international setup recently, while Ellis, Meredith and Dooley have all been top performers in past BBL seasons.
Jordan and Hain should also have plenty to give, so there are few holes in the XI. On the other hand, Sydney have lost a lot of quality for this clash, and they will have few fans in enemy territory.
As such, I’m backing the home side to record a victory in their first fixture.
Hobart Hurricanes to Win
$2.05 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Wade has been in top form lately – he was dismissed just once in the T20 International series against India, scoring 128 runs in the process. Prior to that, Wade averaged 26 in BBL12, so 15 runs seems hugely achievable here.
Dooley was the breakout star of BBL12, taking 19 wickets in just 10 appearances. He will lead the spin attack for the Hurricanes this season, and should open his account for BBL13 on Monday night.
Match Betting – Hobart Hurricanes
Player to Score 15+ Runs – Matthew Wade
To Take a Wicket - Paddy Dooley
