Deadline: December 21, 2019 at 12:40 PM IST
Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra
Pitch report
Australian summer seems to have flattened out the pitches. However, the bowlers have been equally smart, making sure the batsmen do not have all the fun. Maintain a balance of batsmen and bowlers in your fantasy team.
Probable XIs
Thunder: Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Calum Ferguson (c), Matthew Gilkes (wk), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Arjun Nair, Nathan McAndrew, Jonathan Cook, Chris Tremain
Strikers: Alex Carey (wk), Jake Weatherald, Matthew Short, Jonathan Wells, Harry Nielson, Cameron Valente, Wes Agar, Rashid Khan, Harry Conway, Billy Stanlake, Liam O Connor
NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely.
Match prediction and preview
After winning their first title in the 2017-18 season, the Strikers went downhill in the following edition. Their captain Travis Head was on a national duty, and in his absence, the Strikers could not peak in time. The case will be the same this year: Head won’t be available until the first week of January. Nonetheless, they have players who can put up a commanding show and reduce the opposition to a punching bag.
They will be up against the in-form Thunder who have won both matches this season, defeating the Heat and the Renegades. Although the Strikers have a balanced side, the momentum will be with the cool and calm Thunder.
Players to watch out for
Alex Carey, Jake Weatherald, and Jon Wells – all scored over 300 runs in the previous season. Carey, especially, is a class-apart opener. We don’t see him at the top when he plays for Australia, but he is more than what we have seen of him at the international level.
After playing for the Renegades and the Stars, Cameron White has now signed a deal with the Strikers. He has played as many as 234 T20s, scoring over 5,000 runs. If anything, his experience and understanding of the game will be valuable to the team.
Rashid Khan is the Strikers’ biggest weapon. His BBL record is excellent, scalping 37 wickets and maintaining an economy of under 6 RPO. Moreover, he has a knack for scoring quick runs down the order and is an athletic fielder.
In the pace department, they have Billy Stanlake. He has become a regular member of Australia’s T20I squad. He is tall and can bowl fast, and more importantly, he is handy in both powerplay and death overs.
The Thunder’s top three have scored a fifty already in 2 matches. While Calum Ferguson‘s unbeaten 73 took them home in the tournament opener, Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales laid the foundation in a chase of 170 runs. It’s tough to leave all three in fantasy teams.
In the bowling unit, Daniel Sams has been the most impressive. He bowls in both powerplay and death, and has an array of variations at his disposal. He has taken 4 wickets thus far in 7 overs. Arjun Nair has been no less: his off-spinners have brought them 4 wickets in the middle overs.
Also, get to know the tips & tricks on how to play fantasy cricket.