In this article, we preview Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder, the BBL 10 match in Canberra on 12 December. The Stars are arguably the unluckiest side to have ever taken part in the BBL, with appearances in three finals and five semifinals in nine seasons and without a single title to show for the effort. The Stars topped the league table in season nine, winning 10 of their 14 matches. Though they lost the title clash against Sixers, the Stars can never be ruled out and could end up winning their first BBL title this time around.
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Match Preview: What to Expect
Melbourne Stars have In-form Players
Having ended the last two seasons as runners-up, Melbourne Stars must have their eyes set on their first BBL title in season 10. With Jonny Bairstow deciding not to participate in this season of the BBL, Stars have roped in Andre Fletcher to open the innings in place of Jonny. Marcus Stoinis, with 705 runs from 17 innings at an average of 54.23 and a strike rate of 136.63, was the highest scorer in the BBL last season. In the process, he also set a record for the highest score in the history of the tournament when he smashed 147 not out in 79 balls. Nick Larkins was another successful batsman for Stars, with 297 runs from 11 innings at an average of 37.13 and a strike rate of 136.87. Adam Zampa, who took 20 wickets in 12 innings at an economy rate of 7.20, was among the most successful bowlers in the BBL season nine, with only three bowlers ending up with more wickets. Maxwell, who took 10 wickets in 16 innings while maintaining an economy rate of 7.03, was another consistent performer. Maxwell also delivered with the bat, scoring 398 runs at 39.80 while maintaining a strike rate of 148.51.
<Sydney Thunder Will Again Rely on Hales, Ross, Sams, Cook to Deliver
Sydney Thunder made it to the playoffs in season nine after finishing 5th on the points table. To win the title, they needed to win four in a row. They managed to beat Hobart Hurricanes in the Eliminator and Adelaide Strikers in the Knockout but came up short against Melbourne Stars in the Challenger. Against a strong Stars batting lineup, all their bowlers, barring Morris who took 2/30, proved ineffective. After Stars had posted a daunting score of 194/2, Thunder could manage only 166/8 in their allotted overs. Alex Hales who had batted brilliantly in the two preceding games was, unfortunately, run out and Alex Ross was left fighting a lone battle. Thunder’s fortunes in the upcoming season will rest on the performances of their heroes of the BBL season nine: Hales (576 runs in 17 innings at 38.40), Ross (372 runs in 10 innings at 37.20), Sams (30 wickets in 17 innings with an economy rate of 7.84) and Cook (13 wickets in 12 innings with an economy rate of 7.79).