The winless Melbourne Renegades travel to Canberra’s Manuka Oval to face the Sydney Thunder as they look to avoid going 10 games winless in BBL09.
The Renegades are playing for pride now as they are mathematically are unable to make finals with five games still to go. This abysmal season for the Renegades would have to go down as one of the worst ever title defences, if not the worst, and they desperately need to put together a few wins in order to take something positive out of the season. After being bowled all out for 110 in their last match against the Strikers on Sunday night, it is hard to see how they can overcome a Thunder team in the battle for a finals spot.
The Thunder are currently right in the mix for the finals but must win games like this if they are to make it. They head to Canberra on the back of a win over the Hurricanes, chasing down their 162 total with two balls to spare. They have been playing some solid cricket all season without standing out but they have been thereabouts in almost all their games so far. The Thunder got the better of the Renegades in their earlier match this year, winning with two balls to spare. The teams overall record is locked at four apiece but the Thunder will be eager to get the best of the Renegades here as they make their finals bid.
Melbourne Renegades Squad (13): Dan Christian (C), Cameron Boyce, Tom Cooper, Andrew Fekete, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Shaun Marsh, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Samit Patel, Will Sutherland, Beau Webster, Jack Wildermuth
Sydney Thunder Squad (13): Callum Ferguson (C), Liam Bowe, Jonathan Cook, Brendan Doggett, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu
BBL09 Thunder vs Renegades Betting Tips
Sydney Thunder
A rare batting failure from their captain Callum Ferguson didn’t stop the Thunder securing a win in Hobart in their last match, as Khawaja and Hales led from the front and Alex Ross carried them home from there. It has been the Thunder’s bowling though that has shone this big bash and in particular from their strike bowler Daniel Sams.
Sams is currently wearing the Golden Arm Cap as the KFC Big Bash League’s highest wicket taker and he has been in career best form this Big Bash. He has taken seventeen wickets so far in the nine matches he has played and kept his economy rate at a respectable 8.01. Almost as impressive is that he is one of two players who has bowled a maiden over in this year’s competition, bowling two maidens in BBL09.
Last time these teams met Sams came away with figures of 2/26 and that was only off two overs. He will look to replicate his recent performances again here against the Renegades and looks a good chance to do so against a team that has been struggling for runs.
Sams Top THU Wicket Taker
$3.50
Melbourne Renegades
Beau Webster has gone under the radar a bit this season largely due to the Renegades failings and the focus has largely been on Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh. Webster, who has been coming in at second drop, has been putting together a number of solid totals which has led him to currently sit 4th in overall runs in the competition as well as have the 4th best average of 62. In comparison to his counterpart Shaun Marsh’s 35.44 it shows how vital he has been to the Renegades batting line up.
Shaun Marsh is the X Factor batsman no doubt but the Thunder’s bowling attack has been firing and Webster’s poise this season has been commendable and he has the stats to show for it. With the likelihood of early wickets he should be in early enough to put up a big score here.
Webster Top REN Run Scorer
$5.50
Prediction
You would be brave to tip the Renegades here as they have shown little all season and with a finals spot on the line as they head into their last five matches of the regular season, you can be sure the Thunder will be coming into this raring to go. Their bowling attack has been in good form all season led by Sams and Morris who both are in the top 10 wicket takers in the league.
As long as their top order doesn’t fall apart early, the Thunder should make it two from two against the Renegades this season.
