Match 51 of the BBL 2021/22 will be held at the MCG in Melbourne, played between Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat. The match will be kicked off on 16th January (Sunday) at 14:15 (GMT+6).
The Melbourne Stars are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. They need to win their remaining two games to have a chance of progressing to the playoffs. They were defeated by Adelaide Strikers by 23 runs in their previous match and are currently ranked 6th in the points table with 18 points.
On the other hand, the Brisbane Heat has had a bad run of last few games, with the majority of their players tested positive for COVID-19, and as a result, they have lost three straight games. Their playoffs qualification hopes are still up in the air. They are at the 7th place in the rankings with 15 points after 3 victories and 8 losses.
Weather
The match will start in the high 20s and then cool down to the mid 20s as the evening unfolds.
Pitch
It’s always difficult to set the target in this venue because the bowlers will have an easier time in the initial overs of play. Bowling first is a wise option because the side’s chasing has an outstanding track record in recent times.
Probable Playing XIs
Melbourne Stars:
Glenn Maxwell (C), Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke (WK), Brody Couch, Joe Burns, Clint Hinchliffe, Sam Rainbird, and Ahmed Daniyal.
Brisbane Heat:
Jimmy Peirson (C & WK), Chris Lynn, Ben Duckett, Sam Heazlett, Max Bryant, Fakhar Zaman, Mitchell Swepson, Michael Neser, James Bazley, Mark Steketee, and Liam Guthrie.
Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat – Match 51, Dream 11:
Glenn Maxwell (C), Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Chris Lynn (VC),Sam Heazlett, Ben Duckett, Michael Neser, Marcus Stoinis, Brody Couch, Mark Steketee, and Liam Guthrie.
Prediction
Match winner
- Melbourne Stars
Winning the toss
- Melbourne Stars
Top Batsman
- Melbourne Stars – Hilton Cartwright
- Brisbane Heat – Sam Heazlett
Top Bowler
- Melbourne Stars – Brody Couch
- Brisbane Heat – James Bazley
Most Sixes
- Melbourne Stars – Hilton Cartwright
- Brisbane Heat – Sam Heazlett
Player of the Match
- Melbourne Stars – Hilton Cartwright
Team Scores Batting First
- Melbourne Stars – 170+
- Brisbane Heat – 160+
Two sides that have spent the majority of the last few weeks in the bottom regions of the BBL standings will believe this is a match they should win. With a pitch that should provide some assistance for all bowlers, we expect a low-scoring match, with the Melbourne Stars to reach the port of victory.