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The Roar’s BBL expert tips and predictions: Semi-finals

23rd January, 2017
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Kevin Pietersen congratulates David Hussey of the Stars after catching Andrew Tye of the Scorchers during the Big Bash League (BBL) T20 match between the Perth Scorchers and the Melbourne Stars at the WACA, Perth on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. AAP Image/Richard Wainwright
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23rd January, 2017
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The home-and-away season might be all done for another year, but our normal serving Big Bash expert tips isn’t going anywhere – yet. After all, the semi-finals is where things start to get interesting.

Thanks to some bizarre last-ball running, poor first-innings batting and dreadful death bowling, last week saw each away team take the points for the second week in a row – something which may have this week’s home finalists a little nervous.

As a result, our leaderboard still looks very similar. Dan (17 points), who tipped two from three last week, keeps his place at the top one point clear from myself (16). BJ (15) is a further point back, still in the running but with plenty needed to go his way, while Brett and The Crowd (ten points each) are now out of contention.

The two semi-finals will see the Scorchers face the Stars for what seems the millionth such fixture in the history of the Big Bash (in six seasons to date, this will be the fifth semi-final between the two sides), and the Sixers will travel up to the Gabba to play the Heat.

Let’s get to the tips!

Brett McKay

Scorchers, Heat

Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars
Scorchers. Despite the fact no team has a winning record at home this season, Perth have always been tough to beat at the WACA, and I can’t see that changing for this game. The Stars get Marcus Stoinis back for this game, but I’m not sure it’ll make a lot of difference. The Scorchers look to have a better top order, and certainly a better bowling attack. Another semi-final loss for green-Melbourne.

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Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers
Heat. I said on Sunday I can’t see anything other than a Perth-Brisbane final, and I’ve been thoroughly unimpressed with the Sixers in this back-end of the tournament. On paper, they look as fragile as each other, but the Heat are playing with more confidence as a group, and that will be the difference.

Brisbane Heat captain Brendan McCullum loves the Twenty20 format

Dan Liebke

Stars, Sixers

Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars
Stars. Madness, perhaps, to tip against the table-topping Scorchers at home, wielding Ashtons like they’re going out of fashion. And the Stars are renowned for their incompetence when it comes to BBL semi-finals. But I just feel like the green Melbourne side are due to step up and put that incompetence to better use in a final.

Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers
Sixers. The presence of Heat team mascot Chris Lynn on the sidelines won’t be enough to get the Heat over the line here. And besides, after their recent match to close out the regular season where neither side seemed to want to actually win the damn game, a Stars-Sixers final seems a fitting conclusion to BBL06.

BJ Conkey

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Scorchers, Sixers

Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars
Scorchers. The Scorchers are hitting form just at the right time. They did it with ease against the Hurricanes and didn’t even require the services of Ian Bell in the batting line-up. Mitchell Johnson is also starting to look dangerous. The Stars will miss Glenn Maxwell and will need Rob Quiney to finish the tournament the way he started it if they’re a chance.

Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers
Heat. Home ground advantage has not helped the Heat in recent matches and as we’ve seen this tournament, once Brendon McCullum is out the batting can be hit and miss. The Sixers’ form has been all over the place but when they do win they always seem to have a number of contributors.

Nathan Lyon has a good Test record at the Gabba and could play a major part in restricting the Heat. Last time the two sides played in Brisbane, Daniel Hughes was the man. Look for the opener to lead from the front once again.

Daniel Jeffrey

Scorchers, Heat

Perth Scorchers vs Melbourne Stars
Scorchers. There was a time when the only certainty in the Big Bash was that the Stars would crash out in the semi-finals, often at the hands of the Scorchers. They may have broken both hoodoos last season in one fell swoop, but I’m expecting normal service to resume here; the Stars’ death bowling against the Sixers was as bad as I’ve seen for some time, while the Scorchers completely dominated against the Hurricanes.

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Plus, who doesn’t want to see Mitchell Johnson terrorise Kevin Pietersen one last time?

mitchell-johnson-perth-scorchers-big-bash-league-cricket-2016

Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers
Heat. With the likes of Joe Burns and Ben Cutting stepping up in the absence of Chris Lynn last time out, Brisbane’s batting stocks should have enough to get by the Sixers at home. Samuel Badree’s likely inclusion will give the Heat a pair of leg-spinners which will only reinforce their advantage over the travelling side.

Semi-Finals Brett Dan BJ Daniel The Crowd
SCO v STA SCO STA SCO SCO SCO
HEA v SIX HEA SIX SIX HEA HEA
Last week 1 2 1 2 0
Total 10 17 15 16 10

Like most of the rest of the pannel, The Crowd likes the look of the Scorchers on their home deck out west. In the second semi-final, they’ve sided with Brett and I and tipped the Heat to get past the Sixers.

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