Big Bash League 2019 Match 34, Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers: Preview, likely XIs, predictions

January 12 will feature the clash of the titans, Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers. The table-toppers will host the second ranked team at home for a weekender.

Melbourne Stars are leading the table with 14 points and Sydney Sixers are just behind them with 12 points to their name. Apart from losing a close encounter against Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Strikers have been consistently good so far. Moreover, they won back to back five games after that defeat. The biggest advantage of the Stars is their form. Both departments are delivering at right moment and the players’ rankings justify the fact. Their last match was against Melbourne Renegades where the Stars chased down 169 runs convincingly. Melbourne Stars will have the audience on their side against Sydney Sixers which will be effective as well.

Sydney Sixers had a mixed start where they lost two consecutive games after winning the opening one against Perth Scorchers. But then the Sixers never looked back. They went on to win five matches at a trot that included a Super Over victory against Sydney Thunder. Their last encounter was against Adelaide Strikers which saw the Sixers batters facing difficulty while chasing 136 runs. But thankfully they managed to win the match by two wickets with eight balls remaining. Apart from this one match against the Strikers, the Strikers looked good throughout the tournament. They would like to show dominance against the table toppers and snatch away a significant win at Melbourne.

No wonder Melbourne Stars are the favourites but Sydney Sixers are desperate to claim the top.

Key players

Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars)-Haris Rauf is still maintaining the second place on the wickets chart. Moreover, he was the most economical bowler for the Melbourne Stars in the last fixture. No wonder his consistency is a key factor for the toppers.

Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers)- Even though Josh Philippe failed last time, he is without any doubt the most dependable man for the Sixers in the batting squad. The highest run getter for Sydney Sixers in the tournament so far, Philippe needs to score against the Stars to help his team win this important match.

Likely XIs

Melbourne Stars: Nic Maddinson, Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (c), Peter Handscomb (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Daniel Worrall, Haris Rauf, Sandeep Lamichhane.

Sydney Sixers: Josh Phillippe (wk), Justin Avendano, Daniel Hughes (c), James Vince, Tom Curran, Jordan Silk, Jack Edwards, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood, Lloyd Pope