Here are our fantasy picks for the game between the Sydney Thunder and the Melbourne Renegades (5:38)
January 15: Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades in Canberra
Our XI: Shaun Marsh, Alex Hales (vice-capt), Sam Harper, Beau Webster, Callum Ferguson, Mohammad Nabi, Dan Christian, Chris Morris, Daniel Sams (capt), Chris Tremain, Samit Patel
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about a late injury (or other relevant updates).
Captain: Daniel Sams Sams tops the wicket charts with 17 wickets at 8.01 and strikes once every 11 balls. His variations have troubled many batsmen and it will be no different against the struggling Renegades. Sams took 2 for 26 when the teams last met.
Vice-captain: Alex Hales Against a weakened opposition it is best to punt on the opening hitter. Hales is likely to face the spin duo of Nabi and Patel early on. It could be make or break. Hales has scored 223 runs from 158 balls with a Man-of-the-Match effort in the last game against the Hurricanes.
Hot picks
Mohammad Nabi
He has just played one match in the competition and will be looking to perform very soon. He will bowl in the Powerplay and would like to make use of the long boundaries at Mauka Oval. Thunder’s batsmen are susceptible to spin early on and Nabi could take advantage of this weakness. Nabi also gives you additional points with the bat.
Shaun Marsh
He is the main player in this Renegades squad. Only one single-digit score in the entire competition so far. He is the third-highest run-getter in the competition. If Renegades have to get their first win of the competition, Marsh has to score.
Value picks
Beau Webster
With 310 runs from 214 balls at a strike rate of 144.85, Webster is the second-highest run-getter for the Renegades and is yet to be dismissed in single digits. His lowest score is 11 and has two fifties and a 49 to his credit. In a game where Renegades have to win to avoid 10 consecutive losses, Webster could get your team some valuable points
Callum Ferguson
When the Thunder play, you just have to back Ferguson. He started the tournament well but has tapered off a bit. He has saved the Thunder on more than one occasion and would be looking to add to the 295 runs he has scored.
Points to note
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Renegades will be determined to avoid 10 straight losses and hence one could back a few key Renegade players. The law of averages has to kick in at some stage.
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The average first-innings score in Canberra is 164. Pace bowlers have an economy rate of 8.8 here, while the spinners go at 7.7. Not much to choose between the two disciplines.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo