Jan 3: Adelaide Strikers vs Sydney Sixers, Carrara, Queensland
Pro Tip: The Strikers have lost the joint-most number of wickets in this edition of the tournament with 44 dismissals in six games and the Sixers’ bowling average of 20.11 is the best in the league. So, more Sixers bowlers and fewer Strikers batsmen should work in your favour.
Our XI: Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes, James Vince, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve O’Keefe, Jake Weatherald, Phil Salt, Alex Carey, Rashid Khan, Wes Agar
Substitutes: Peter Siddle, Danny Briggs, Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis
Player availability: No major changes expected for both sides.
We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.
Captain: Josh Philippe
The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 172 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 142.14 in this edition of the BBL. He is one of the few batters who have a better average against spin (40.85) than pace (33.90) since the previous edition. He has played aggressively against Rashid Khan, scoring 35 runs in 19 deliveries without losing his wicket in the tournament.
Vice-captain: Alex Carey
In a team that has not clicked as a batting unit together yet this season, their captain, Alex Carey, has scored two 50-plus scores in his four innings. He scored almost 56% of his team runs in the last game against the Scorchers where he finished with 82 off 59 balls. His wicketkeeping points will further boost your tally.
Hot Picks
Daniel Christian: Another BBL veteran who has hit the top form in this edition of the league. He has picked up six wickets at an average of 20.83 and has scored 93 runs at a strike rate of 226.82. His 16-ball 50 against the strikers earlier in this season was the second-fastest fifty in BBL history and it earned him the Player-of-the-Match award too.
Rashid Khan: Rashid Khan’s economy this season (7.65) when compared to that of his BBL career at the start of the season (6.36) suggests that oppositions have played him slightly better in the ongoing edition. However, he is yet to go wicketless in a match this season, picking up eight wickets in six games.
Steve O’Keefe: The Sixers’ joint top wicket-taker in BBL season 10, Steve O’Keefe has taken eight wickets in five games. The Strikers are his favourite team to bowl against: he has picked up 13 wickets in eight games at an average of 12.85.
Differential Picks
Carlos Brathwaite: Brathwaite has been an exceptional bowler in the BBL, with 18 wickets in 12 games striking once every 13.8 delivers and has gone wicketless only twice. Though his batting skills have not yet come to the fore, he is more than handy in the lower-middle order and as a finisher.
Wes Agar: Wes Agar has been making waves this season in a team that’s usually overshadowed by the likes of Rashid and Peter Siddle. He has taken 11 wickets in six games at an average of 17.
Alternate Scenarios