Fantasy suggestions for match 48 of BBL 2020-21
Jan 22: Sydney Sixers vs Sydney Thunder, Adelaide
Pro Tip: The Adelaide Oval has been one of the best venues for bowlers, especially for quick bowlers. So make sure you have more bowling options for this game.
Our XI: Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Sam Billings, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Tanveer Sangha, Josh Philippe, James Vince, Daniel Christian, Carlos Brathwaite, Steve O’Keefe
Substitutes: Callum Ferguson, Chris Green, Daniel Hughes, Jordan Silk
(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
With 421 runs in 11 games at an impressive strike rate of 148.76, Philippe has come back from his IPL stint a better player. He has been phenomenal against spin this BBL, scoring 167 runs at an average of 55.66 and a strike rate of 189.77, which is likely to nullify the threads posted by the Thunder spin duo of Green and Sangha. In the reverse fixture, he scored a match-winning 36-ball 64 in a rain-curtailed game.
Vice-captain: Daniel Sams
Since the last BBL, no player has taken more wickets than Daniel Sams with 40 wickets in 25 innings, striking once in every 12.8 deliveries. He has shown glimpses of his batting potential in the past seasons but in this BBL he has taken it to new levels with his 25-ball unbeaten 65 and 37-ball unbeaten 50.
Hot Picks
Alex Hales: One of the leading scorers this BBL, Hales has scored 352 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 157.84. He has scored the most runs (269) and has the best strike rate (166.04 – minimum 50 runs) for any player in the first six overs. The last time he played at this venue, he scored a 35-ball 59.
Tanveer Sangha: In his debut season the 19-year-old has already picked up 18 wickets in 11 games striking once in every 12.1 deliveries. If he gets one more wicket, he will be the only Australian in BBL to take 19 or more wickets in a debut season.
Daniel Christian: The 37-year-old allrounder has been a revelation for the Sixers this season. Christian is the only player to pick more than 10 wickets as well as score 150-plus runs in this edition of the BBL. The Sydney derby is one of his favourite fixtures as he has scored 214 runs and picked up 12 wickets in 13 such games.
Differential Picks
Carlos Brathwaite: After making some impact with the bat in the international circuit, Brathwaite has more or less turned into a bowler in this BBL, having picked up the second-most number of wickets for his side with 13 scalps in 11 games at an average of 17.15. He is yet to show his batting prowess in the BBL.
Nathan McAndrew: The 27-year-old quick bowler is enjoying a breakout season having picked up 13 wickets in ten games at a strike rate of 15.60. He is also decent with the bat and can hit some lusty blows at the end.
Alternate Scenarios
- Callum Ferguson can replace either Usman Khawaja or Sam Billings
- Daniel Hughes can replace James Vince
Source: ESPN Crickinfo