Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Sixers Cricket Match Preview

30 December 2022

Season 12 of the Big Bash League (BBL12) continues on as the table starts to take shape with the ‘pretenders’ starting to be separated by the ‘contenders’. Match #21 will see the Melbourne Renegades take on the Sydney Sixers at their second home of Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium in the reverse fixture, a match that occurred just days ago. With both teams sitting on three wins and two losses this season, this match will at least briefly separate two teams that look bound for finals.

The most recent loss for the Renegades came against their upcoming opponents. Keeping their strong batting lineup to just 149 was extremely good with Kane Richardson keeping things tight at the end of the innings, while taking wickets and being helped by another potential Test inclusion in Will Sutherland, who recorded 2/22 from three overs through the middle. Their batting was horrific, with only Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh getting any kind of start, although they both scored too slowly with strike rates of less than 113. Furthermore, their total of 115 was somewhat flattered by late runs from Kane Richardson and Tom Rogers. With the Renegades now having lost the last six completed matches between these sides they will need something major to change in Geelong.

Key battle: Aaron Finch may be a Geelong local and has scored well in Geelong in the past, but unfortunately for the Renegades, it has been too slow with his 151 runs at the venue coming at a strike rate of just 111. The Sixers will certainly be looking to remove Finch early, though, with him still being the Renegades' top scorer this season. The answer to that may be Jackson Bird who averages just 22 with the ball against the Australian captain.

Stat attack: Ben Dwarshuis averages 14.61 against the Melbourne Renegades, taking 23 wickets from 12 innings.

Shaun Marsh has averaged 31 with the bat for the Renegades, compared with 47.4 when he was playing for the Perth Scorchers.

Verdict: Back the Sydney Sixers Odd: 1.8 on Bet365