The first BBL14 game of the New Year’s Day double-header sees the Hurricanes hosting the ladder leading Sixers in Hobart. Can the Hurricanes end the Sixers streak? Or will the Sixers keep on rolling? Jack Tobin brings you his full betting preview for the clash below!
BBL14 Hurricanes vs Sixers Betting Tips
Ninja Stadium, Wednesday 1st January, 4:00pm AEDT
Hobart Hurricanes
Predicted XI: Mitch Owen, Caleb Jewell, Shai Hope, Ben McDermott, Nikhil Chauhdary, Tim David, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake, Waqar Salamkheil
The Hurricanes produced their best batting performance of the season in their last outing against the Adelaide Strikers. The Hurricanes plundered 5/214 thanks to Ben McDermott’s 68* off 34 balls. Shai Hope (37 off 22) and Tim David (33 off 14) chipped in with handy cameos as the Hurricanes moved to 2-1 on the season and remained in the finals race.
The Hurricanes have done well to be 2-1 given Mitch Owen is their only player to have scored over 100 runs, with Owen and Ben McDermott the only Hurricanes batsmen to score a half century in BBL14. If they want to compete against the best sides in the league like the Sixers, they’re going to need a much greater spread of contributors than what they’ve had so far this season.
It’s a similar story with the ball as Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith (4 wickets each) are the only Hurricanes with more than three wickets in BBL14. The Hurricanes haven’t been a threatening attack with the ball this season, which makes for huge concerns coming up against the best batting unit in the competition.
Sydney Sixers
Predicted XI: Josh Phillipe, James Vince, Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Lachlan Shaw, Hayden Kerr, Ben Dwarshuis, Akeal Hosein, Todd Murphy, Jackson Bird
The Sixers kept their perfect record intact after winning a top of the table clash against the Heat in their last game. It was a performance that we’ve come to expect from Sydney, who restricted the Heat to 9/139, which the Sixers chased down in 16.1 overs for the loss of just two wickets. The Sixers didn’t even use the power surge, such was the dominance of their performance.
Ben Dwarshuis (4/32) and Hayden Kerr (2/18) led the way with the ball for the Sixers, who strangled the Heat on a decent batting surface. Dwarshuis is the leading wicket taker in BBL14 with 10 wickets, while Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy and Akeal Hosein are all ranked in the top 15 wicket takers this season.
The Sixers batting has been as good as their bowling with James Vince (164 runs, ranked 2nd), Josh Phillipe (148 runs, ranked 3rd) and Moises Henriques (110 runs, ranked 13th) all amongst the top run scorers in the league. Kurtis Patterson came in for his first game of the season against the Heat and showed his capability after a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, scoring a quick fire 32. The Sixers have some serious depth and will be featuring once again at the pointy end of the season.
Match Prediction
The Sixers have been just about perfect this season, with their four wins coming in a variety of different ways which shows that they are capable of winning regardless of what scenario is playing out in a game. They have produced scores of 5/172 (18 overs), 5/164, 2/198 (18 overs) and 2/142 (16 overs). They have so many weapons in their batting stocks that can take away a game from the opposition, and they are all contributing.
They are equally as good with the ball, with their depth and consistency substantially better than Hobart’s. The Sixers have won four of the last five games between the two sides, and are currently on a three-game winning streak against the Hurricanes. The Sixers won’t have many difficulties in this fixture, and will move to a perfect 5-0.
Sydney Sixers to Win
$1.80 (2 Units)
Prop Bet
Sixers captain Moises Henriques loves playing against the Hurricanes. Henriques has scored 339 runs at an average of 28.75, the third most runs of any player in matches between the Sixers and the Hurricanes. Henriques rarely misses out against the Hurricanes, with knocks of 20, 23*, 0, 26*, 73 and 43 in his last six games against Hobart.
Moises Henriques: Top Sixers Run Scorer
$5.50
