Five rounds of the Big Bash League are done and dusted as time is running out for teams to make a run at the finals. It was a round that gave us three winners before an incredible tie between the Sixers and the Scorchers produced the first ever Big Bash Super Over! The Stars continue to crush, while the Thunder reached a new low. What will Round 6 throw at us?
Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Thunder (11th, Jan. at 1.45pm local time)
Arguably the best chance for the Thunder to grab a win against the under-performing Hurricanes, but the Canes will enjoy being on home turf. The Thunder put in their worst performance of the season last round and will be determined to improve in Hobart. Mike Hussey continues to go well, but has no support with the bat, despite their bowlers toiling manfully. Dilshan’s injury also hurts the side greatly.
This is a big round for the Hurricanes with two matches to try and claw their way towards a finals spot, especially after the Strikers were thrashed and their net run rate shattered. Hobart traded into $1.02 before collapsing against the Scorchers in a pathetic performance last round. Their bowlers looked good and their rotations worked well, but their batsmen were again disappointing. None of their batsmen have stood up to make an impact besides Ben Dunk in the second game.
Verdict: Hurricanes should win but at $1.58 on Betfair, are they really the sort of team we want to be taking at short odds? No thanks, happy to watch.
Prop Bets: Mike Hussey leading run scorer for Scorchers at $2.88 on Sportsbet. The best batsmen in the competition in the worst batting line up. Seems like a good bet to me!
Ben Laughlin most wickets for Hurricanes at $3.10 on Sportsbet. This market uses bowling economy as tiebreaker which makes this bet even more attractive. Key wicket taker and usually very economical.
Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars (11th, Jan. at 6.15pm local time)
Danger game for the Stars as the Heat hope to get themselves back into finals contention. The Heat show glimpses of brilliance amongst some really poor execution, but had a strong win last round with Chris Lynn continuing to impress. Their best bowler is Daniel Vettori and he’s hobbling around like a 90-year old man. Ben Cutting continues to bowl terribly (thank God he can bat) while injuries have seen Joe Burns and Nathan Hauritz miss games. Burns is vital to their top order which currently looks a bit vulnerable. Throwing Cutting in at three might be worth consideration.
The Stars were incredible against the Strikers. They suffocated them with the ball and destroyed them with the bat. It was a truly supreme performance. They will lose Maxwell, McKay and Faulkner to the ODI team but definitely have the depth to cover.
Verdict: The Stars are an awesome team and currently $1.57 on Betfair to extend their winning ways. Hard to see how they will lose.
Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder (14th, Jan. at 7.40pm local time)
It will be interesting to see how the Renegades fare without leading run scorer Aaron Finch and import Jos Buttler. No doubt they are a different team without their batting leading the way. They have some talent with the bat but will need to produce. They welcome back Alex Doolan while it’s been announced that West Indian Dwayne Bravo will join the team for the final two games of the season, so that will help. With the ball, they will also miss James Pattinson, but Rimmington, O’Brien and Murali have proven to be a handful for opposition teams.
As we already mentioned, the Thunder put in their worst performance of the season last round, and will need to back up twice during this round. Facing the Renegades without their stars will certainly give them a chance but their own weakness should prove too much to overcome, barring a Mike Hussey miracle.
Verdict: No markets up for the last two games as yet, but the Renegades are likely to start strong favourites here and should be a good thing.
Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes (15th, Jan. at 7.40pm local time)
The Hurricanes back up for their second match of the round, but their season could be over by this point if they lost to the Thunder. If they won, then this match becomes huge to their hopes of reaching the finals.
The Sixers had a great opportunity to secure a finals spot when they clawed their way to a Super Over against the Scorchers. Steve Smith was brilliant, but then let himself down in the Super Over as they Sixers could only manage one run. They will be disappointed to lose that and determined to bounce back. They are extremely well balanced with plenty of bowling options and a long batting line up. Having guys like Steve O’Keefe and Brett Lee who can bat a bit is certainly helpful.
Verdict: Sixers too strong at home. Hopefully we can get a nice price, and happy to back them at around $1.75.
Take note: The above tips are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always bet responsibly. Happy punting!
