Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Stars: Big Bash semi-final live scores, blog

The Hobart Hurricanes will be out to prove exactly why they are BBL|08 minor premiers when they take on an out of form Melbourne Stars in the first semi-final. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 7:30pm (AEDT).

The Hobart-based franchise are back in the finals after falling agonisingly short in the decider last year against the Adelaide Strikers.

They have had a splendid season, and that’s mainly been sparked at the top of the order.

While a lot of teams have struggled to ram home the advantage of a powerplay on a consistent basis, D’Arcy Short (602 runs) and Matthew Wade (590 runs) have scored more than anyone else and got the Hurricanes off to a strong start at nearly every opportunity.

Once they get going, it’s made life very easy for their middle order, and they will be hoping for more of the same against a vulnerable Stars attack.

While the Hurricanes middle order does have deficiencies, the experience provided by players like George Bailey, Ben McDermott and James Faulkner will ensure they still get a good score if the top order does fail.

If the Stars don’t bowl well, they are going to struggle big time to get anywhere near the home team.

While the return of Nepalian Sandeep Lamichhane adds plenty, Jackson Coleman, Daniel Worrall and Scott Boland (pending on which attack they go with) have struggled at times to shut down opposition top orders, and nowhere was that more prevalent than when these sides last met as the Hurricanes ran up 185 on the back of a 95-run opening stand.

The Stard did bowl well in their final regular season game though, restricting the Sixers to under 100, but it’s been rocks and diamonds, with the side only winning one of their last three – a win they had to have to make the semi-finals.

Even if they do manage to restrict the Hurricanes, their batting has been heavily reliant on Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.

However, if the duo get going, as they have done at various times throughout the year, then the pressure will go on a mostly inexperienced bowling attack of Hobart, which was plain to see when Riley Meredith bowled the opening over for 23 against the Renegades in their final regular season game.

Just one over like that could flip the script, but heading in, it’s a script which is all purple.

Prediction
The ‘Canes are in a rich vein of form. They are at home, and with Wade and Short looking unstoppable at the top of the order, they should prove too strong for the Stars.

Hurricanes to win.

Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the first BBL semi-final from 7:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

Game information

First ball: 7:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
TV: Live, Fox Cricket 501 and Channel 7
Online: Live, Kayo Sports, Foxtel app, Foxtel now
Betting: Hurricanes $1.70, Stars $2.20
Overall record: Played 10, Stars 6, Hurricanes 4
Record at venue: Played 3, Stars 2, Hurricanes 1
BBL|08 match 1: Dec 24, 2018 – Hurricanes defeat Stars by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare at Blundstone Arena
BBL|08 match 2: Jan 14, 2019 – Hurricanes defeat Stars by 59 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Umpires: TBC

Hobart Hurricanes (squad)
Matthew Wade (c), Qais Ahmed, Jofra Archer, George Bailey (c), James Faulkner, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, David Moody, Tim Paine, Clive Rose, D’Arcy Short

Melbourne Stars (squad)
Glenn Maxwell (c), Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa