Big Bash Game 8 - Melbourne Stars vs Hobart Hurricanes

[TJ1996]

Game starts at 7pm AEDT.

Melbourne Stars squad​

JM Bird, JP Faulkner, PSP Handscomb†, JW Hastings, SO Henry, BJ Hodge, DJ Hussey, AR Keath, CJ McKay, SL Malinga, GJ Maxwell, RJ Quiney, CA Rose, SK Warne*, CL White, LJ Wright​

​

Hobart Hurricanes squad​

GJ Bailey*, TR Birt, AC Blizzard, DE Bollinger, XJ Doherty, BR Dunk, EP Gulbis, BW Hilfenhaus, MG Hogan, JJ Krejza, B Laughlin, TD Paine†, RT Ponting, OA Shah, SB Styris, T van der Gugten, JW Wells
​

 

[Mkcaptain]

It will be interesting to see how Ponting goes

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Punter opening and taking the first ball.

Ed: and he's gone. Got through to the second over which is a bonus, i suppose.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Two favourites of the competition before the tournament started, In my opinion Hobart have the best batting line up but lack a little with their bowling so should be a great game tonight.

Form
Hobart instantly hit form and showed everyone why they are on of the favourites for this tournament by dispatching off the Heat at the Gabba with ease, Shah and Birt continued their dominance of the tournament both knocking up not outs to get the win by 8 wickets. Gulbis and Hogan were the best bowlers but can that continue against good batting line ups?

This will be the Stars 3rd game after losing to their cross town rivals or more to the point losing to Aaron Finch in game 1 but they bounced back to answered Malinga spell to destroy the pretty ordinary Scorchers, can he reproduce that sort of spell against a batting line up that contains Wells, Ponting, Paine, Bailey, Birt and Shah?

Keys
Hobart- Travis Birt and Shah scored over half of Hobart's runs last season and that needs to continue this year for Hobart to be good but if they can get some back up from Paine/Wells and Ponting it will be even more of a dangerous line up especially giving hitters like that a foundation.

Bowling wise is where the depth will be tested, Gulbis and Hogan were good last week, but Doherty and Styris need to give support. The key to this side will be Doug Bollinger, they have lost the best death bowler in the side last year and need someone to stand up and take wickets, can Douggy be better than he was against the Heat?

Melbourne- David Hussey is in my opinion the best 20/20 player in Australia, he bats brilliantly and is a handy bowler and a pretty decent fielder, I think this Stars side is overrated so he needs to make runs along with Wright and Hodge for them to make decent scores.

Malinga obviously.,Took 6/7 against Perth with his mixture of crafty slower balls and full pace yorkers but this will be his real test against the line up with the most depth in their batting line up but Jackson Bird will know most of these players very well given his Tasmanian connections so expect him to be very vital tonight.

Odds/Tips
Stars $1.75
Hobart $2.05

I like Hobart in this one i just think they go to deep for the Stars

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Travis Birt gone. Huge wicket.

Hobart 2/21

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Birt gone.

Hobart in big trouble

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Shah, who was bating a foot outside off stump, gone lbw.

Hobart 3/25 and in the pooh.

 

[CAS79]

Birt gone.

Hobart in big trouble

Shah too. Bailey needs a big one. Hurricanes bowling strategy relies heavily on Doherty containing and building run rate pressure. Without a score that wont happen.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Game over.

Shah LBW, The curse of batting first will strike again

 

[Bucking Beads]

Stars have started superbly.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Paine batting far too slow, Need to get on with it or get out, the longer these 2 bat together the worst for Hobart IMO.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

3/60 at the halfway mark.

Need 160 to be competitive you would think. 100 from 10

 

[Gak Attack]

Bear struggling.

 

[Mkcaptain]

White has dropped two catches at slip, not something you see everyday

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Warnie getting a bit lippy tonight.

 

[PAdman]

never got the appeal of white, should've caught at least one of those two dropped catches.

 

[Kram]

Bailey loves trying get himself run out.. And pie chucker strikes..

 

[Stig O'Hara]

.....yet another half tracker from White gets him a wicket, very nice catch in the deep from Faulkner.

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Hmm was that out?

 

[CAS79]

.....yet another half tracker from White gets him a wicket, very nice catch in the deep from Faulkner.

was it???

 

[Special Agent Utah]

Tim get a *en move on

 

[Stig O'Hara]

.....and Warnie grasses one off White's bowling.

Payback's a bitch.

 

[Mkcaptain]

Now Warney has dropped one

 

[Charliebrow 16]

We need a couple of big overs if we're going to reach a competitive and substantial total.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

3/60 at the halfway mark.

Need 160 to be competitive you would think. 100 from 10

Yep, Hobart are crawling along.

4/80 after 14. They'll be lucky to get 120.