Melbourne Renegades will have the home advantage in their favour in the opening clash but they have a poor head-to-head record against the Scorchers and have never beaten them in the tournament, which is sure to play on their minds. The home side will be without their dangerous opening duo of Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, who are away on international duty, and it will the responsibility of skipper Tom Cooper, Daniel Christian and Cameron White to lead the batting charge. Mackenzie Harvey is injured, which means that White is all set to open the innings with Tim Ludeman.
The Perth side on the other hand will miss Joel Paris, who picked up a back injury. They will also be without the services of Shaun Marsh, who is currently playing for Australia, and Cameron Bancroft, who is facing suspension. Josh Inglis, then is likely to open the batting. Their bowling looks threatening, with Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendoff all capable of troubling the batsmen. With the track having something for the spinners as well, Ashton Agar could get into the game with a notable performance too.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Tim Ludeman (8.5 credits)
The Melbourne Renegades keeper is likely to open the innings, which will allow him to settle down and go for a big knock. He has turned out for only 52 T20 games thus far, but with five fifties, he is no fluke with the bat and he will be eager to push on for a
Melbourne Renegades will have the home advantage in their favour in the opening clash but they have a poor head-to-head record against the Scorchers and have never beaten them in the tournament, which is sure to play on their minds. The home side will be without their dangerous opening duo of Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, who are away on international duty, and it will the responsibility of skipper Tom Cooper, Daniel Christian and Cameron White to lead the batting charge. Mackenzie Harvey is injured, which means that White is all set to open the innings with Tim Ludeman.
The Perth side on the other hand will miss Joel Paris, who picked up a back injury. They will also be without the services of Shaun Marsh, who is currently playing for Australia, and Cameron Bancroft, who is facing suspension. Josh Inglis, then is likely to open the batting. Their bowling looks threatening, with Andrew Tye, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendoff all capable of troubling the batsmen. With the track having something for the spinners as well, Ashton Agar could get into the game with a notable performance too.
Player Recommendations:
Wicket-keeper: Tim Ludeman (8.5 credits)
The Melbourne Renegades keeper is likely to open the innings, which will allow him to settle down and go for a big knock. He has turned out for only 52 T20 games thus far, but with five fifties, he is no fluke with the bat and he will be eager to push on for a big score on Thursday.
Batsman: Ashton Turner (9 credits)
Ashton Turner scored the most runs for his team last season, which shows that he is no mug with the bat. His impressive T20 returns - he has played 58 games with a strike-rate of 143.34 - earned him a call-up for the Australian T20I team in February last year, but even though he failed to impress, he has been the mainstay of the Perth side in the BBL. With experienced players absent, Turner is likely to be a crucial member.
All-rounder: Mitchell Marsh (9.5 credits)
Both teams are equipped with a number of dangerous all-rounders, however I have picked Mitchell Marsh, as he is the captain of Perth and will be eager to lead from the front. He is not only a capable batsman, having scored six fifties in 67 T20 games, but is also a match-winner with the ball. He can turn around the game with a spell in the middle overs and his strike-rate of 19.1 with the ball shows his consistency with the cherry.
Bowler: Andrew Tye (9.5 credits)
Tye was the most consistent bowler for Perth last season, picking up 16 wickets in six games. He has been consistent in various T20 leagues around the world as well, picking up 159 wickets in 109 T20 matches. His economy rate of 7.86 is impressive as well, and his ability to control the runs upfront and in the death makes him a dangerous prospect.
Captain: Andrew Tye
Vice-captain: Ashton Turner
