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The match no. 18 of the Big Bash League 2021-22 will have a clash between Jimmy Pierson’s Brisbane Heat and Peter Siddle’s Adelaide Strikers. On December 23, both teams will be desperate for a win after a slow start to the season.
Brisbane Heat are placed seventh on the points table with only one win from four matches. They have four points to their name, courtesy of a win and a Bash Boost point, while their net run-rate reads -0.732.
The Heat suffered back to back losses at the hands of Sydney Thunder and Perth Scorchers at the beginning of their campaign. They tasted their first victory of the season by defeating Melbourne Renegades by five wickets while chasing 141 in 16.5 overs. But the very next match, they were obliterated by 53 runs as they were bundled out for 143, chasing 197.
The Strikers occupy fifth place on the table with only one victory from four matches. But unlike the Heat, they have six points to their name as they’ve claimed the Bash Boost point in three of those games. Their net run-rate of -0.127 keeps them ahead of Hobart Hurricanes.
The Strikers lost their first game against the Renegades by just two runs but bounced back to hammer the same opponent by 49 runs in the return fixture. They then lost to the Scorchers by 49 runs. In the last game, the Strikers lost by four wickets after posting 147/8 on the board.
Key players
Rashid Khan is by far the best spinner going around in the T20 arena and arguably of all time. The Afghan leg-spinner has a perfect blend of speed, control and variations to bamboozle the batters. The 23-year-old has snared 406 wickets from 293 T20 matches at an outstanding 6.36 runs per over. Rashid has done a terrific job for the Strikers, picking 78 scalps in the BBL at 6.48 rpo. Rashid was outstanding in the last game against the Sixers, keeping the team in the contest with his 3 for 20 from four overs.
Chris Lynn is amongst the most destructive players in the T20 arena. The 31-year-old has 5997 runs in the format at an average of 31 and strike rate of 143, including two centuries and 39 half centuries. Lynn has a fantastic record in the BBL, having scored 2862 runs at an average of 36 while striking at over 150. He has been poor in this edition so far, apart from one impact knock of 15-ball 32 in their only win. However, he still remains a key player for the Heat.
Matthew Short is a promising youngster from Victoria who has a lot of potential as a batter and bowls handy off-spin. The 26-year-old doesn’t have a great record so far, with 582 runs at 17 average and 120 strike rate. But he has started the BBL 11 with a bang, scoring 140 runs from four games at an average of 35 while striking at a terrific 153. Short’s knocks include 18-ball 29, 17-ball 32, 47-ball 63 and 8-ball 16. The Strikers will be hoping that he continues to give fast starts.
Mark Steketee, a promising fast bowler from Queensland, has been a great package in the T20 format. The right arm quick often bowls difficult overs for Brisbane Heat and had a fantastic output in the last edition, picking 24 scalps from 16 games. Steketee has 68 wickets in the BBL from 54 matches, albeit at a high economy of 8.89. He picked 2 for 32 in the last game, his first appearance in this edition and scored 33 off 24 balls with the bat in hand.
Prediction
As far as the head to head record is concerned, there’s nothing much to separate the two sides. The Strikers have a slight edge with eight wins to six. In the last two editions, the Strikers have won three while the Heat claimed two victories.
The Strikers do not have any superstar in the batting unit. Thus, the likes of Matthew Short, Jake Weatherald and Jonathan Wells have to share the responsibility. Matt Renshaw’s return gives them some stability in the middle order. In the bowling department, they have Rashid Khan and decent support options in George Garton, Dan Worrall, Fawad Ahmed and Peter Siddle.
The Heat have some serious concerns in their batting unit, with Max Bryant, Ben Duckett and Jimmy Pierson not firing yet in the competition. Chris Lynn and Sam Heazlett have also been inconsistent. They do have batting depth with Xavier Bartlett and Mark Steketee. The bowling unit looks decent with Bartlett, Steketee and a potent spin duo of Mitch Swepson and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
On paper, there isn’t much to conclude, but if they do things right, Brisbane Heat have the tools to dominate this game at Adelaide Oval.
