Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash Tips: Renegades suited to Geelong track

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Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes
Thursday 19 December, 08:15
TV: live on Sky Sports

Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash team news

Jacob Bethell is included in the squad and is expected to come straight into the XI. USA all-rounder Hassan Khan misses out. The Renegades were beaten by Sixers in their first game and arguably should have won with smarter on-field decision making from skip Will Sutherland. They're at full strength now, though.

Probable Renegades XI: Fraser-McGurk, Brown, Seifert, Bethell, Harvey, Evans, Sutherland, O'Neil, Rogers, Zampa

Shai Hope and Waqar Salmkheil are in line for their Bash debuts. Otherwise there's familiar feel to the Heat line-up with Matthew Wade in the opening slot and reliance on Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith with the ball. There is no Pat Dooley, however.

Probable HH XI: Wade, McDermott, Jewell, Hope, David, Chaudhary, Jordan, Ellis, Salmkheil, Meredith, Hatzoglou

Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash pitch report

In the ten night matches that have produced a result at Geelong, six were won by the side batting second. In 15 matches under lights (day-night and night) nine have been won by the team chasing. The runs per over is 6.8 in the night games and only three first-innings scores have busted 150.5.

It would not be wise to back runs, despite the strength of the Renegades batting. No 50 in first-innings is an even money chance in the night games but Sportsbook offer [13/8. That's a fair option. A par line which discounts our earlier stat, rgeardless of who bats first, is a sell.

Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash match prediction

Renegades are 2.021/1 with Hurricanes 1.865/6. That could look like a very good price about the Renegades indeed in a few weeks. They do look to be one of the best balanced teams in the competition and Bethell's arrival adds star quality.

What is particularly attractive about Renegades here is that the pitch could be a leveller for their bowling attack. They are not the sharpest or meanest in the field and this surface could hide that fact. Renegades is a bet with the toss bias in their favour.

Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash player bets

Wade has a win rate of 33% in the last two years so 7/24.50 top HH bat will be popular. We might prefer a better batting wicket than this though for him. Bethell gets a 4/15.00 quote for Renegades but big prices like Will Sutherland at 14/115.00 and even Kane Richardson at 100/1101.00 have appeal. With the ball, Nathan Ellis is a solid bet at 3/14.00 for top HH bowler, winning 33% of the time, and with Dooley absent, who has taken wins off him, it's probably the pick.

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