Against the odds, the Perth Scorchers have once again shone in BBL12, sitting top of the table with five wins to their name.
On the other hand, the Heat have struggled, and will likely miss the finals for the fifth time in six years.
However, Brisbane recently showed that they can shock some superior sides with an impressive win over the Sixers, and Perth have suffered some fresh injuries, so we could see a close contest here.
Josh Nevett provides his full match preview and BBL12 betting tips below.
BBL12 Scorchers vs Heat Preview & Betting Tips
Optus Stadium, Saturday 7th January, 9:15pm (AEDT)
Perth Scorchers
Predicted XI: Adam Lyth, Steve Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Nick Hobson, Cooper Connolly, Andrew Tye, David Payne, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou
Perth copped their first loss in a while against the Thunder, going down by 6 wickets.
A top-order collapse was the catalyst for the defeat – the Scorchers were 4-28 until Ashton Turner produced a quickfire 61.
Despite Turner’s efforts, Perth could only tally 142, which was well short of par.
The Thunder completed the chase in 17 overs, and a hamstring injury to Jhye Richardson piled further pain on Perth. Richardson and teammate Aaron Hardie will miss this match.
As such, Perth’s depth will be tested. Undoubtedly, we will see some uncapped Scorchers take to the field on Saturday, including the likes of Eskinazi, English quick David Payne and young all-rounder Cooper Connolly.
It’s an exciting time for those players, but a nervous one for Scorchers fans who want to see their team stay at the top of the table.
Brisbane Heat
Predicted XI: Josh Brown, Colin Munro, Nathan McSweeney, Sam Billings, Jimmy Pierson, Ross Whiteley, James Bazley, Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Matt Kuhnemann, Mitch Swepson
The Heat fared well in their double against the Sixers, scoring a much-needed victory before rain forced the second encounter to be abandoned.
Brisbane will be upset that Wednesday’s clash didn’t go the distance – the Heat scored 6-147 in their 13 allotted overs, with Michael Neser (45* off 18) and Colin Munro (38 off 14) taking full advantage of the short boundaries at North Sydney Oval.
Nevertheless, the Queensland-based side now has some form to build on against another elite opponent.
Unfortunately, this game will be the last for Colin Munro and Sam Billings, who will both head to the ILT20 competition.
Munro will be sorely missed, as he has been the most consistent of the Heat batsmen.
Now, it will be up to the likes of McSweeney and Brown to bat above their averages for the rest of the season.
Match Prediction
The Scorchers are a formidable opponent, especially at Optus Stadium.
Perth have won eight of their last nine matches at the venue, and normally that would be enough to tip them against the inconsistent Heat.
However, it will be tough for the home side to replace Richardson who is equal second in the wicket-taker rankings and Hardie, who is a match winning all-rounder.
Perth’s depth hasn’t been fully tested up until now, and I find it hard to back them with so many reserve players coming in.
On the other hand, Munro and Billings will be looking to close out their time at Brisbane on a high, so I’m going to predict an upset here.
Brisbane Heat
$2.25 (2 Units)
Same Game Multi
Neser has been a favourite of mine in SGMs this season, and I’m going to back him in for a wicket again on Saturday. The accurate quick will get the first crack at a shaky-looking Perth top order, so expect poles in the powerplay for the Queenslander.
Munro has hit form towards the end of his stay, with scores of 98, 10 and 38 in his last three games. The big-hitting Kiwi should love batting on the fast, flat deck at Optus Stadium against a Richardson-less Perth attack, so back him for 20+.
Building on the theory that the Scorchers may struggle for runs at the top on Saturday, I’m backing an early wicket. Lyth has failed to get going so far, and Neser is one of the best new ball bowlers in Australia. That’s a recipe for disaster if you’re a Scorchers supporter.
Player to Take 1+ Wickets – Michael Neser
Player to Score 20+ Runs – Colin Munro
Perth Scorchers Fall of Wicket 1 – Under 20.5
