Our tips and recommendations for the BBL clash between Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes (4:05)
January 21: Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes in Melbourne
Our XI: Matthew Wade, Sam Harper, Shaun Marsh, Beau Webster, David Miller, Ben McDermott, Dan Christian, Mohammad Nabi, Cameron Boyce, Qais Ahmad, Scott Boland
NOTE: We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates
Captain: Shaun Marsh
Sam Harper and Dan Christian propelled the Renegades to their first win of the season in Canberra, but Marsh has been their most dependable player. He is currently the second-highest run-getter of the season with 393 runs from 11 innings, and is particularly bankable at Docklands Stadium.
Vice-captain: Qais Ahmad
Qais hasn’t had a memorable time of it since his first game of the season, when he picked up 4 for 12 against the Sydney Sixers. However, he will be up against the side with the second-worst record against wristspin this season – the Renegades average 17.72 and score at 6.64 against them – on a ground where legspinners have had some success over the past few years.
Hot Picks
Dan Christian
Christian is leading the Renegades in Aaron Finch’s absence, and put in an all-round show – 21* off 12 and 3 for 14 v Sydney Thunder – to help them get their first points of the season. He followed that up with another couple of wickets in their second win of the season, against Brisbane Heat. He has been striking it well at the death, and if the top order puts runs on the board, he could well be a handful with both bat and ball.
Sam Harper
Harper has found some form at the top of the order, with two fifties in his last five innings. His ball-striking ability has never been in doubt, and the consistency is starting to come to the fore now.
David Miller
Miller’s returns from his first nine innings of the season meant he had gone missing from most fantasy XIs by the tenth, where he produced a throwback to his glory days. An unbeaten 48-ball 90 against the Adelaide Strikers to nearly pull off a miracle win means he’s back in contention. Melbourne will be a far cry from the short boundaries in Launceston, but you don’t leave out an in-form big-hitter in T20s.
Value Picks
Cameron Boyce: Boyce’s stats don’t scream out his case as an automatic pick for your fantasy XI, but he’s almost always in our side when the Renegades play in home conditions at the Docklands, where he has an excellent recent record – he hasn’t gone wicketless in his last six games there, picking up 11 while conceding 7.16 runs an over.
Scott Boland: Boland is coming off eight wickets in his last five innings at an economy rate of 7.27. While his run of form has coincided with a rough patch for the Hurricanes, he has stepped up in the absence of their in-form quick Riley Meredith.
Points to note
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These have been the two worst-performing sides, and while the Hurricanes aren’t far from the qualification spots, the Renegades have little to lose at this stage.
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There has been no discernible pattern at the Docklands, where both batting and chasing sides have had near-equal success in recent times. It isn’t a high-scoring ground, though, with 170 being breached in the first innings only once in the last ten digs
Source: ESPN Crickinfo