Big Bash League 2019 Match 10, Adelaide Strikers vs Perth Scorchers: Preview, likely XIs, predictions

Ahead of their second match of the 2019 BBL, Adelaide Strikers will be a tad relieved, even if in the larger scheme of things, it’s a natural disaster that is the ultimate source of that relief.

The Strikers were within four balls of potentially losing their tournament opener against Sydney Thunder. The Thunder batsmen, Callum Ferguson and Alex Hales, were on song, and with visibility increasing decreasing, due to the smoke from the bushfires raging in Australia, there was an urgency to ensure Thunder were in the safe, if the match was abandoned.

However, so drastically did the visibility reduce, the umpires decided to suspend first and later abandon the match at the 4.2-over mark in the second innings. Four more deliveries, and it would have constituted a match, and Thunder would have been adjudged the winners. But fortunately for the Strikers, the match was called off, and the points were shared.

It meant Adelaide go into their second match of the tournament with a point to the better, having looked highly unlikely to get any. They take on a Perth Scorchers side up next, who have blown hot and cold.

The Scorchers have, so far, won one and lost one of each of their two matches. They were hammered in the opener by Sydney Sixers, losing by eight wickets after being bundled out for 131, but then secured a highly-impressive win against the defending champions Melbourne Renegades, post 196/7 and defending it by 11 runs.

It means this 10th clash of the season is finely set up. It could go either way.

Head to head

The teams have faced each other 14 times so far in the BBL. The Scorchers have won eight of these encounters, with the Strikers winning the remaining six.

Key players

Jonathan Wells (Adelaide Strikers): Despite the loss, there were some positives for the Strikers in their last match, and Wells was a big one. He scored a 32-ball 55 to boost their total batting first, and he will perhaps be called upon to do that again next up.

Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers): The Scorchers captain has something to prove to the national selectors, and with the T20 World Cup in the horizon, he stands to benefit from a good BBL. To that end, he was superb in Perth’s clash with the Renegades, hammering a 22-ball 56 to boost the total. He will be buoyed by that.

Likely XIs

Adelaide Strikers: Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald, Matthew Short, Alex Carey (wk), Jonathan Wells, Rashid Khan, Cameron White, Cameron Valente, Peter Siddle, Wes Agar, Billy Stanlake

Perth Scorchers: Liam Livingstone, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Bancroft, Ashton Turner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Chris Jordan, Jhye Richardson, Joel Paris, Fawad Ahmed

Prediction

Hard one to call – Perth to win it.