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The in-form Adelaide Strikers take on the Melbourne Renegades in the last game of the regular season. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEDT).
Surprisingly, the Renegades have not won a single game at home this season, yet a win last week against the Sydney Thunder gives them a chance to sneak into the finals.
The Strikers have already locked in a home semi-final January 21, yet they need a win to leapfrog the first placed Perth Scorchers, giving themselves the best chance to host the BBL grand final.
The Renegades are missing ODI stars Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade due to the ongoing series against India, while gun paceman James Pattinson will miss the remainder of the BBL campaign due to injury concerns. The boys in blue haven’t had much luck of late either, with Mahela Jayawardene, Billy Stanlake and Kane Richardson all unavailable.
Cameron White is the key man for the Renegades. The experienced Victorian has found form this year after a fairly lean 24 months with the bat, scoring 229 runs at 38.16, including three half-centuries. Despite having played over 200 T20 matches, the man they call the Polar Bear averages just 15 against the Strikers. His unorthodox T20 approach is certainly hit and miss – he soaks up a number of dot balls, yet has a strike rate of 128.10.
White will be hoping West Indian superstar Chris Gayle can set a platform early, ideally surpassing his season high-score of 46. In his only match against the Strikers, Gayle notched up an unbeaten century (100*) in the inaugural Big Bash League, yet he faces a vastly different attack this time around, with an entirely diffent Strikers XI.
A real x-factor for the Strikers is all-rounder Michael Neser. After being dropped from the side after Round 3, Neser came back as a replacement for Kane Richardson. The South African-born 25-year-old was exceptional against the Hurricanes, with figures of 3/26, including the big wicket of Kumar Sangakkara. Neser has the ability to swing the new ball at pace, conceding just 34 runs at 5.66 in the powerplay overs since his return.
These two sides have met four times in the BBL and the tally is currently tied at 2-2. Their most recent encounter came in the final round of BBL04, with the Strikers 22-run winners. Young gun Travis Head (71) was the star for the visitors, with a well-compiled innings consisting of 11 boundaries.
While both sides are without a number of their stars due to ODI duties and injuries, there are still a number of big-gun players to make this contest exciting. On paper, the Strikers’ batting doesn’t look too crash hot, yet Head, Alex Ross and Jake Lehmann continue to get the job done. The Renegades’ weakened bowling attack is boosted by their firepower with the bat, with an experienced line-up consisting of White, Dwayne Bravo, Tom Cooper and of course Gayle. One of these four men will need to go big to set-up a semi-finals berth for the Renegades.
It’s been another successful BBL, with a number of nail-biting fixtures, and this game should prove no different. Can the Renegades sneak into the top four with a win or will the red-hot Strikers seal their finals fate?
Prediction
Melbourne Renegades to win.
Join The Roar for live scores and updates of the Renegades versus Strikers clash from 7:30pm (AEDT), and if you are following the action live, be sure to share your thoughts on the match.
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