Big Bash Final Betting Preview: Perth Scorchers vs. Sydney Sixers Cricket Odds
Jan 27, 2017
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Moises Henriques of the Sixers talks to the media during a Big Bash League media opportunity at WACA on January 27, 2017 in Perth, Australia. The Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers play each other in the Big Bash League and Women's Big Bash League Final matches tomorrow. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The sixth edition of the Big Bash League has been an enormous success and comes to its conclusion on Saturday night at the WACA when the Perth Scorchers host the Sydney Sixers in the final in Perth, Australia.
The two teams had contrasting semi-final successes. The Scorchers dominated their qualifier against the Melbourne Stars from the beginning, thanks to a brilliant spell of bowling from Mitchell Johnson, who took three for three from four overs.
They restricted the Stars to 136 and chased that down comfortably with over three overs to spare to secure their position as hosts and a shot at a third BBL title.
The Sixers, meanwhile, had to take on the Brisbane Heat on enemy soil and only progressed after surviving the drama of a super over. Moises Henriques, who scored 64 in the innings proper, then smashed 18 of the Sixers' 22 in the super over—a total the Heat couldn't get near.
These two teams met at the Sydney Cricket Ground earlier in the tournament, with the Sixers restricting the Scorchers to their lowest total of the BBL campaign, eight for 130, with Mitchell Marsh the only Perth batsman to score more than 30.
The Sixers ran that total down with two overs to spare, with Sam Billings top scoring for 40 and A.J. Tye taking three for 15 for the losers.
But you couldn't get two more different pitches than the SCG and the WACA, and we can expect much higher scores in this match.
The market for the Scorchers' highest runscorer sees Michael Klinger, who has 263 runs for the tournament, as the $3.20 favourite, with Ian Bell a $4.20 pick and Sam Whiteman at $5.50.
Sean Abbott has the most wickets of any bowler in BBL 06 with 20 and has been the Sixers' leading wicket-taker in six of their nine games to date. He is $3.50 to do it again here, while Nathan Lyon, who took four wickets in his last match, is $3.75.
Similarly to the Scorchers, the Sixers haven't had a dominant runscorer through the tournament, but their leading man Daniel Hughes, who has 296 BBL 06 runs, is $3.75 top pick to lead their scorers in the final. Henriques is second pick at $4.50 and looks in good form heading into the decider.
Johnson is the bowler the Sixers most fear, and he is $3 to get the most wickets for the home side. Tye has 10 wickets for the BBL and is second pick at $3.50.
Big Bash League Cricket Betting Preview: Stars Enter BBL as the Odds Favorites
Dec 16, 2016
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Hilton Cartwright and Sam Whiteman of Western Australia share a moment after a wicket during day three of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Queensland at WACA on December 7, 2016 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The sixth edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) kicks off Tuesday, Dec. 20 in the west of Sydney when last season's champions, the Sydney Thunder, host their cross-town rivals, the Sydney Sixers, at Spotless Stadium.
Each team will play a total of eight matches before the top four teams enter elimination semi-finals, after which the winners will progress to the final on Jan. 28.
Each club has a salary cap and has spent the offseason trying to make use of every last dollar. The betting market points towards an extremely competitive season according to AustralianGambling.com.au, with several teams given a chance.
Speaking of making the most of the salary cap, after losing last season's semi-final to the Melbourne Stars, the Perth Scorchers went on an aggressive recruiting campaign that yielded perhaps the best Australian fast bowler in the past decade, Mitchell Johnson, for the club.
Joining him is a man who'll be happy that Johnson is now a teammate, Englishman Ian Bell. The third key signing for the team from the West came with 24-year-old all-rounder Hilton Cartwright, who was also named last week in the Australian ODI team and could be a real X-factor for the team this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHg1DY11Kn4
The Perth outfit are the most successful team in the history of the BBL and but are just $6.50 second favorites to win their third title at the sportsbooks.
Last season's runners-up, the Stars, are at $5 to win their first-ever title. Unlike the Scorchers, the Stars have had a quiet offseason when it comes to recruiting, and with the most stable list in the competition there's been little news out of the MCG-based club this offseason.
David Hussey will carry on as skipper this season after the Stars lost last year's final to the Thunder.
Overseas player Kevin Pietersen is second favorite at $9 to be the league's top run-scorer, but his compatriot Luke Wright may be a better bet at $15 as Pietersen is set to miss the opening match to be with his family for Christmas.
Staying in Melbourne and sitting tied on the second line of betting at $6.50 are the Melbourne Renegades.
Joining the club will be the ninth-ranked Twenty20 bowler on the International Cricket Council charts, Sunil Narine. The off spinner will return for his second stint in the tournament, having played five matches for the Sixers in BBL|02. Narine is second favorite at $10 for most tournament wickets.
In a blow to not just Andrew McDonald's side but the whole league, one of the biggest hitters and brightest stars of world cricket, West Indian Chris Gayle, will not play for the Melbourne club this season. With Gayle gone, plenty of pressure will fall on the skipper, Australian international Aaron Finch.
Despite losing several key players in the offseason, the Thunder are still given a chance by the oddsmakers at $7 for back-to-back titles.
Last season's captain Mike Hussey will not be there this season. Joining him in retirement is one of the best all-rounders of all time, Jacques Kallis. Filling Hussey's shoes will be Shane Watson, who will captain the side this season. Usman Khawaja will have a smaller role to play now that he is a permanent fixture in the Australian Test XI.
The Thunder's cross-town rivals, the Sixers, have had to be aggressive in recruiting as they managed only two wins last season and finished with the wooden spoon.
That aggressive campaign has seen two new international signings join the club, with explosive young openers Jason Roy and Sam Billings coming on board. The latter of which served as Brad Haddin's understudy early in 2016 at the Pakistan Super League.
The third key signing who'll be in magenta this summer is fast bowler Joe Mennie ($67 for most wickets) who made his Test debut for Australia last month in Hobart. The Sixers are rated an $8 chance.
The Adelaide Strikers were last season's minor premiers but couldn't get it done in the semi-final, easily brushed aside by a Khawaja-led Sydney Thunder. It's been a long offseason for the Strikers who are also rated an $8 chance to win their first title.
If they are to do that, a rejuvenated Kieron Pollard will have a big role to play. The big West Indian will be back for the Strikers this summer in news that is sure to warm the hearts of Adelaide fans.
A player not likely to warm too many hearts, certainly not anyone outside of Hobart anyway, is Englishman Stuart Broad. Having signed to play for the Hobart Hurricanes, the fast bowler is rated a $26 chance for most tournament wickets. This may be worth a nibble as the conditions down south should suit him.
His club is a longer shot to win the title at $9 but will be hoping to improve on its poor showing last season.
Another overseas player who'll be back in the Apple Isle for his second season is Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. He's good value at $18 to top the league's most runs column.
The Brisbane Heat come in at $10 to win their second BBL title. The Heat won only three games last season but it wasn't any fault of their skipper Chris Lynn. He's at $8 to score the most runs this year after being named player of the tournament last season, scoring 378 runs off just 218 deliveries (a strike rate of 173.4), with 23 fours and 27 sixes in total.
The club will also be boosted by the domestic ODI cup player of the tournament, Marnus Labuschagne.
Chris Gayle Hits Joint Fastest T20 Half-Century of All Time with 51 off 12 Balls
Chris Gayle did what Chris Gayle does in the Big Bash League on Monday, smashing 51 runs off just 12 balls to match the record for the fastest half-century ever in Twenty20 cricket held by Yuvraj Singh.
Gayle was opening the batting for the Melbourne Renegades in their pivotal match with the Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne, with the hosts needing to chase down their opponents' total of 170 in just 16 overs to achieve the run rate required for a place in the tournament finals.
The sizeable task prompted a vicious assault from Gayle, who hit four sixes off Greg West's opening over. He later departed for 56, having matched the record achieved by Singh against England in 2007.
[Twitter]
Adam Zampa Takes Cricket Ball in the Face, Runs out Peter Nevill in BBL
One of the more bizarre run outs you're ever likely to see happened in the Big Bash League on Saturday morning.
Bowler Adam Zampa took the wicket of Peter Nevill after taking a ball to the face, which then ricocheted onto the stumps.
Nevill will count himself unlucky, as the Renegades batsman looked to put his willow back toward the crease. However, the ball cannoned off his bat and onto Zampa, who got the wicket.
One young cricket fan appeared to be having the time of his life at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday as he watched the Melbourne Stars face the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.
The youngster's extremely enthusiastic response came as the Stars restricted their opponents to 124 all out, but it was the wild celebrations witnessed in the crowd that provided the highlight for many viewers.
Joel Paris marked his call-up to the Australia One Day squad with an incredible juggling catch in the Perth Scorchers' Big Bash match with the Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday.
Paris appeared to have missed the chance as he fumbled the high catch of Tim Ludeman, but he showed impressive coordination to stick out a hand and grab the ball inches from the turf.
A left-arm fast-medium bowler, Paris has been included in the Australia squad for the upcoming ODI series with India.
Ten Sport presenter Melanie McLaughlin appeared less than impressed on Monday when Chris Gayle asked her out for a drink live on air before telling her, "Don't blush, baby."
There's a felling that he will be banned. He will not return next year.
Cricket Australia will not sanction it and theyw ill take a very strong stance on it, for two reasons: One, because they don't like his behaviour. And two, because there's also a feeling that the competition is outgrowing some of its international stars. That it can stand on its own two feet.
Some may consider that extreme punishment for one singular offence. But the story is growing, even today there was a story on the front page alleging that (Gayle) exposed himself to a woman during last year's World Cup.
Not good enough. Terrible behaviour.
[Twitter]
Young Fan Eats Whole Watermelon, Including Rind, at Big Bash Cricket Match
Jan 2, 2016
One young cricket fan appeared to scrap traditional eating habits on Saturday by consuming an entire watermelon, rind first, while watching the Melbourne Renegades against the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.
The bizarre footage, captured halfway through the Renegades' innings, shows the boy seemingly happily munching his way through the fruit's tough exterior.
