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The Bellerive Oval will host the Hobart Hurricanes versus Melbourne Stars Big Bash League game – join us for live scores and commentary of the action throughout the game, with the match starting at 6.00 pm AEDT on January 8.
Their last loss to Brisbane Heat aside, the Hobart Hurricanes are the team to beat this tournament. Even in that defeat at the hands of Heat, the Hurricanes had almost managed to chase down 201 needed for the win, losing only by three runs in the end.
The Stars have had a mixed tournament this season. They were bulldozed by Thunder, edged out Brisbane, lost narrowly to the Sixers, were toppled by Perth scorchers before being helped by inclement weather and Duckworth-Lewis to notch up their second victory.
As a result, the Stars share the fourth position with Adelaide Strikers, Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades – all of whom have four points.
With only two rounds of matches remaining, this game assumes a lot of importance for both teams, but more so for the Stars.
While Hurricanes will want to regain their winning momentum quickly after going down in their previous match, even a loss will allow them to remain a virtual certainty in the semi-final.
The Stars, in contrast, will bid their chances of making it to the knock-out round an adieu if they fail to defeat the Hurricanes.
While Travis Birt started off well for the Hurricanes, Owais Shah has come into his own rather well in the latter half. He had scores of 24 and 8 not-out before following it up with two unbeaten innings of 36 and 41 and then a 69 against Brisbane.
Birt is now at the top of the batting charts, having pipped Gayle to the second position. He averages more than 50 but more vitally at a strike-rate of 171.
What the Stars will look to exploit is the middle-order chink – not too many runs have been scored by those after Birt and Shah. If the Stars’ pace attack of Jackson Bird, James Faulkner and Clint McKay can eke out a few early wickets, the Shane Warne v Hurricanes battle could get really interesting.
Conversely, how David Hussey and company bat against the powerful Hurricanes bowling could decide the course of the game.
We will bring you the coverage throughout the game from the Bellerive Oval from 7.00 pm AEDT and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
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