The spot for fourth place comes down to the final regular season game of BBL14, as the Stars look to knock off the ladder leading Hurricanes to complete a remarkable turnaround. Jack Tobin has you covered with his full preview below!
BBL14 Stars vs Hurricanes Betting Tips
MCG, Sunday 19th January, 7:15pm AEDT
Melbourne Stars
Predicted XI: Sam Harper, Tom Rogers, Beau Webster, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran, Joel Paris, Usama Mir, Mark Stekete, Peter Siddle
Some positive and negative news on the selection front for the Stars, as their leading run scorer Ben Duckett leaves for international duties with England. On the positive side, Tom Curran is expected to return from injury, which will give the Stars bowling attack a major boost. Duckett is the seventh highest run scorer in BBL, with 243 runs in seven games.
Remarkably after starting the season 0-5, the Stars head into the final game of the regular season with their destiny in their own hands. After the conclusion of Saturday’s game, one of the Heat, Renegades, Scorchers or Strikers will have taken fourth spot from the Stars, but if they beat the Hurricanes on Sunday night they will secure a spot in the finals.
A big factor going for is that the Hurricanes have nothing to play for, after Friday’s washout between the Sixers and Thunder, Hobart have locked in top spot. The Stars are on a four game winning streak including a win over the Sixers at the SCG, and they are peaking at the right time of the season. With Duckett gone, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis will need to carry a bit more of the load with the bat, which they are certainly capable of.
Hobart Hurricanes
Predicted XI: Caleb Jewell, Mitch Owen, Ben McDermott, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Matthew Wade, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Chris Jordan, Riley Meredith
Seven straight wins has secured top spot for the Hurricanes, in what will be their first finals appearance in three seasons. The Canes chased down the target of 202 set by the Heat, thanks to a Matthew Wade six on the final ball of the innings. As they have all season long, the Hurricanes had great contributions across the board with the bat.
Caleb Jewell made the most of his chances to score a crucial 76 off 49, while Mitch Owen (44 off 20) and Nikhil Chaudhary (39 off 27) played crucial roles. Matthew Wade continued to nail his role as the finisher with an unbeaten 15 from 9 balls, while Jake Doran (8* off 4) hit a crucial boundary in the last over to swing momentum for Hobart.
Given that top spot is secured and the Hurricanes have had some injury issues, it will be interesting to see the selection process they take. Ben McDermott and Chris Jordan have missed the last two games with hamstring and back injuries respectively. Will the Hurricanes value getting game time into them ahead of the finals? Or not risk them in a non-essential game?
Match Prediction
Things are falling into place perfectly for the Stars, full of momentum playing great cricket, and coming up against a side with injury concerns that has nothing to gain from the result. The Stars play the MCG very well with their seam attack bowling mainly into the wicket, forcing opposition sides to hit to the long, square boundaries.
The Stars have enjoyed playing the Hurricanes at the MCG, having won four of their last six matchups against Hobart at the G. The Stars have a 13-8 head-to-head record against the Hurricanes, and will continue their strong form to book a place in the finals.
Melbourne Stars to Win
$1.90 (1 Unit)
Prop Bet
Glenn Maxwell is scorching hot at the moment, with 221 runs at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of 182.64. Maxwell’s last three innings have produced scores of 90, 58* and 20*, and given that Ben Duckett isn’t in the side, Maxwell will likely move a spot up the order. No player has scored more runs in games between the Stars and Hurricanes than Maxwell, with 558 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 181.17.
Glenn Maxwell – Stars Top Run Scorer
$4.50
