Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars: Fantasy Preview

Melbourne Stars will take on bottom-placed Melbourne Renegades in the 45th match of Big Bash League (BBL) 2020-21 at the Docklands Stadium on Wednesday (January 20). The Renegades are out of the race for the finals, while a win here would take Glenn Maxwell and Co. to second position in the points table.

BBL HEAD-TO-HEAD

Overall: Matches – 18 | Stars – 14 Wins | Renegades – 5 Wins

Last 5 Matches: Stars – 4 Wins | Renegades – 1 Win

SUGGESTED TEAMS

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms we come up with six different teams that could fetch crucial points.

GROUND DETAILS & TEAM COMBINATION

On Tuesday, Perth Scorchers posted a total of 174 in the first innings and then bowled Brisbane Heat out for just 115 in 16.4 overs. The likes of Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed, Andrew Tye and Morne Morkel all did well, which tells you there should be a proper mix of pacers and spinners in your XI.

The venue has hosted five BBL games since the start of the last edition. The bowlers here have picked up wickets at an average of 31.1 and a strike rate of 22.4. The pacers here have an average of 32.9 and a strike rate of 21.6, compared to 28.2 and 23.9 respectively of spinners. There are two-three quality wristspinners and it would be ideal to have at least two of them.

CAPTAIN SELECTION

With 312 runs to his name at an average of 34.66, Glenn Maxwell is the Stars' second-highest run-getter this season. The Stars captain started this season with a bang but had a mini-slump in between. Maxwell however has looked good in the last two games, having scored 37 and 20, and could go big on Wednesday. He has also taken seven wickets and could get you some crucial points with his offspin.

X-FACTORS

Marcus Stoinis has scored more runs than any other Stars batsman this season. The opener has so far slammed 333 runs at an average of 37 and a strike rate of 144.15. The all-rounder also bowled one over in the last encounter, which means he is now cleared to bowl and could be used more in the next game. If Stoinis gets going on Wednesday, you could end up with lots of points.

Only Jhye Richardson (19) has taken more wickets than Adam Zampa this season. The legspinner has 18 wickets to his name at an average of 12.55 and a strike rate of just 11. Zampa only managed one wicket against the Renegades in the last game but you would expect him to make a more severe impact at the Docklands Stadium.

Shaun Marsh has scores of 24 and 0 in his last two games but the left-handed opener is still the leading run-scorer for the Renegades, despite having played only nine games. Marsh has crafted three fifties this season, in which he has scored 271 runs. He is the only Renegades batsman with an average of more than 30.