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Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Stars will be up against each other in the 44th match of the Big Bash League 2022-23. The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the contest on Monday, January 16th. Brisbane Heat head into this game as favourites with the odds of 2/3 (1.67). Melbourne Stars have bigger odds of 6/5 (2.20) to win this fixture.
These odds from Ladbrokes were correct at the time of writing.
- Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat, Match 44, BBL 2022-23
- January 16, 2023 – 8:15 AM GMT
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
Contents
Melbourne Cricket Ground is a pretty balanced venue with help for both batters and bowlers. More than 60 domestic T20s have been played here, with the average batting first score reading 160. Four games have been hosted here in the ongoing season, with the first innings scores of 183, 141, 173 and 108.
The Melbourne weather should be clear on Monday evening to give a full 40-over contest. The chance of precipitation is below 5% while the temperature should be around 20°C.
Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat – Match Predictions
Brisbane Heat lead the overall record in this match-up by a narrow margin of nine wins to seven. There’s not much to conclude from it and both teams are struggling this season. Brisbane Heat have more variety in their batting department. Their bowling attack matches very well against the Stars.
Prediction 1
Stars To Hit Most Sixes
13/10 (2.30)
Prediction 2
Neser To Take Most Wickets
11/4 (3.75)
Prediction 3
Labuschagne to be Man of the Match
10/1 (11.00)
Probable 6s
Melbourne Stars have Joe Clarke, who is coming off a blistering knock along with Thomas Rogers, Hilton Cartwright, Beau Webster and potentially Marcus Stoinis. Brisbane Heat, on the other hand, will be dependent on Josh Brown for the power-hitting as rest of the batters are more traditional.
Our Prediction: Melbourne Stars to hit most sixes in this match with the odds of 13/10 (2.30).
Probable Wickets
Michael Neser has picked 11 wickets from eight games this season at a strike rate of 15.8. He could be a big threat if there’s any movement on offer. Neser has the odds of 11/4 (3.75) to be the highest wicket-taker for Brisbane Heat. For the Stars, Luke Wood has the odds of 13/5 (3.60) to be the top bowler.
Our Prediction: Michael Neser to be the highest wicket-taker for Brisbane Heat at 11/4 (3.75).
Man of the Match
Marnus Labuschagne made 46 off 33 in the previous game on a tough pitch. His anchoring will be crucial again in this fixture. Labuschagne is a good pick for the player of the match with the odds of 10/1 (11.00). Apart from him, Josh Brown, James Bazley, Joe Clarke are some of the top betting options.
Our Prediction: Marnus Labuschagne to be the Man of the Match at 10/1 (11.00) odds.
Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat Preview
Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat sit at the bottom of the table and are in a do or die situation. Let’s take a look at both teams ahead of their match on Monday.
Melbourne Stars
Melbourne Stars are reeling at the bottom of the table and need to win the remaining three games to have the slightest chance of the playoffs. They have just three wins from 11 matches, losing eight of those. They’re coming off an embarrassing defeat in the Derby, where they lost from 54 off 51 with eight wickets in hand.
The Stars could have Marcus Stoinis back for this game to strengthen the batting unit while Nathan Coulter-Nile should return for this game. Having only one left hander in the top six against Brisbane Heat, who have two spinners turning the ball away, could be a big issue.
Squad: Joe Clarke (wk), Thomas Rogers, Hilton Cartwright, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Luke Wood, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa (cap)
Brisbane Heat
Brisbane Heat need to win three out of four remaining games to have a shot at playoffs. They are seventh on the table with 7 points from 10 matches, having won three and lost six. Brisbane defeated Adelaide Strikers by 17 runs in the previous game on the back of a strong collective bowling performance.
Matthew Kuhnemann and James Bazley led the way as they defended 155. Marnus Labuschagne made a crucial contribution with the bat. The Heat will need more out of Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw. Josh Brown remains a key to get them off to a flying start.
Squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Josh Brown, Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Sam Hain, Jimmy Peirson (wk), James Bazley, Michael Neser, Spencer Johnson, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann
How to Watch Big Bash in the UK: Live Streaming & Channel List
If you are in the UK, you can catch the live action of the Big Bash League on Sky Sports Cricket. You can also watch this game live on the streaming platform SkyGo application.
- Sky Sports Cricket (TV)
- SkyGo app (Streaming)
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