The Boxing Day cricket marathon continues in the west for the second game of the BBL double header between the Scorchers and the Heat. The Scorchers season is on thin ice after back-to-back losses, and they face a huge challenge against the undefeated Heat. Jack Tobin brings you his full betting preview for the match below!
BBL14 Scorchers vs Heat Betting Tips
Optus Stadium, Thursday 26th December, 9:15pm AEDT
Scorchers
Predicted XI: Finn Allen, Keaton Jennings, Cooper Connolly, Matthew Hurst, Ashton Turner, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Matthew Spoors, Matthew Kelly, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff
The Scorchers are in unfamiliar territory after back-to-back losses leaves them with a 1-2 record, which has their finals hopes on a knife’s edge given the ten game season. Cooper Connolly scored an outstanding 66 to get the Scorchers to a defendable 8/143 on a difficult Marvel Stadium surface. Matthew Spoors (29 off 26) was the only other player to score in double figures for the Scorchers.
A poor start with the ball allowed the Renegades to crawl to the finish line, after the Renegades raced to 3/72 after 7 overs. The spin of Ashton Agar (1/20) and Cooper Connolly (1/17) coupled with some brilliant fielding, kept the Scorchers in the game right until the death, but ultimately, they couldn’t overcome poor starts with the bat and ball.
Finn Allen’s form is beginning to become a major concern for the five-time champions, after coming into the season as one of the most hyped imports. Allen has made scores of 6, 4 and 0, and is yet to last more than three balls - which makes things very difficult for the Scorchers when they are losing a wicket in the first over of every match.
Heat
Predicted XI: Colin Munro, Tom Banton, Nathan McSweeney, Matthew Renshaw, Jimmy Peirson, Paul Walter, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Tom Whitney, Mitch Swepson, Matt Kuhnemann
The Heat are set to be boosted by two massive inclusions as Spencer Johnson returns from a toe injury, while Englishman Tom Banton returns to the Heat after Tom Alsop was ruled out of the tournament with a quad injury. The inclusions to help with both bat and ball are massive given the undermanned lineups the Heat have started the season with. Banton is no stranger to the Big Bash, having scored 223 runs at a strike rate of 176.98 in BBL09.
Brisbane have won two from two with severely undermanned sides, with their three wicket win over the Strikers led by a stirring match winning knock from Nathan McSweeney. Just days after his brutal axing from the Test team, McSweeney smashed 78* from 49 deliveries to chase down the target of 175 after the Heat started 2/19. Matt Renshaw played a crucial role with a blistering 54 off 27.
Spencer Johnson’s return will provide some much-needed pace at the top and at the death which the Heat will desperately need. The Heat conceded 66 runs off the final 6 overs against the Strikers, which nearly cost them the game. Johnson was the second highest wicket taker in BBL13 with 19 wickets with an economy rate of just 7.05, five of the Heat’s six bowlers went at an economy rate over 8 against the Strikers.
Match Prediction
This looms as a massive task for the Scorchers coming up against the defending champions who are nearing full strength, and haven’t lost a game. The Scorchers' struggles over the last two games have come on the back of their batting. Perth have only scored 8/143 and 6/155 across their last two games, which even on difficult batting surfaces is tough to defend.
However, the Scorchers have shown time and time again that they are the benchmark of the competition, particularly at home. The Scorchers have won ten of their last twelve games at Optus Stadium, and have also won ten out of their last twelve matches against the Brisbane Heat. The Scorchers will bounce back at home and keep their season alive with a much-needed win.
Perth Scorchers to Win
$1.77 (1.5 Units)
Prop Bet
Cooper Connolly has started brilliantly since being promoted to number three, with the youngster being the leading run scorer in the Big Bash heading into Christmas. Connolly has scored 144 runs in three games with two scores above 60, and will enjoy batting on a fast surface in Perth, compared to the slow surfaces the Scorchers played on in Hobart and Melbourne. Connolly averages a healthy 35 from three innings against the Heat, headlined by his stunning cameo in the BBL12 Final.
Cooper Connolly – Scorchers Top Run Scorer
$4.50
