The unbeaten Adelaide Strikers host the Sydney Thunder in the New Year’s Eve game at Adelaide Oval for the second year running. Weather forced an early end to the previous encounter between these two teams earlier this season. The Adelaide Strikers made 161 and the Thunder were 1/40 after 4.2 overs and in a commanding position when play was stopped due to rain.
The Strikers are proving to be real title contenders with their early season form where they have won all three of their completed matches with the other match resulting in the points being split due to an incomplete match.
The Thunder started with wins over the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat before but lost to the Sydney Sixers in the Super Over in a game which they really should have won.
Adelaide Strikers Squad (13): Alex Carey (c), Wes Agar, Harry Conway, Rashid Khan, Harry Nielsen, Phil Salt, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Jon Wells, Cameron White
Sydney Thunder Squad (13): Callum Ferguson (c), Jonathan Cook, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Chris Tremain
BBL09 Strikers vs Thunder Betting Tips
Adelaide Strikers
Paceman Harry Conway returns to the 13-man squad replacing leg-spinner Liam O’Connor for this New Year’s Eve clash. The Strikers have started the season in great touch and batsmen Alex Carey, Jon Wells and Jake Weatherald have all started their campaigns in fine form making 186, 161 and 152 runs respectively.
However, it is Rashid Khan’s batting that has added another dimension to their attack. Khan has now scored 160 runs from 95 balls in his 18 Big Bash innings at an incredible strike-rate of 168.42 which includes 11 sixes and 12 fours. He has managed six wickets across their three completed matches as well and therefore the 39.5 player performance total looks a lucrative one, with him only needing two wickets alone to clear the total and with the possibility of another big hitting display he could only need a single wicket for him to clear it.
Sydney Thunder
The Thunder could easily be undefeated with them conceding 15 runs off the final over to send it to a super over which they ultimately lost. Callum Ferguson is the highest run-scorer for Sydney Thunder so far with 156 runs from 4 innings with a strike rate of over 145 and an average of 78 which could have been higher if he wasn’t run out in the final ball last match.
He has been able to come in and steadily bring up large scores while the likes of Khawaja, Hales, Gilkes and Alex Ross play aggressively around him. Therefore, there is no reason to suggest he doesn’t post another good score here against the Strikers. Only one game has been at the Adelaide Oval this year with 381 runs off just 36 overs with a clear night predicted the conditions look perfect for Ferguson to post another good score.
Ferguson OVER 22.5 Runs
$1.88
Prediction
Statistically the Strikers have the advantage in this game. Adelaide Oval has hosted six New Year’s Eve BBL games and the Strikers have won all of them, which includes last years victory over the Thunder. The Thunder have struggled to put on runs in the middle order heavily relying on Khawaja, Hales and Ferguson with Alex Ross the only real middle order spark so far. The Strikers also have one of the better bowling attacks in the BBL and that is enough for me to lean towards them maintaining their New Year’s Eve success going into 2020 on top of the BBL ladder.
