Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Big Bash Tips: Renegades underrated to put on a show

Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades
Monday 30 December, 08:15
TV: live on Sky Sports

Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Big Bash team news

Thunder have lost leggie Tanveer Sangha to a side strain while brother Jason is a doubt with a bicep injury. They are problems Thunder could do without considering they have lost Sam Konstas to Australia and Nathan McAndrew to injury. Under-19 World Cup winning captain Hugh Weibgen has been added to the squad.

Probable Heat XI: Warner, Bancroft, Sangha/Gilkes, Davies, Billings, Rutherford, Sams, Green, Andrews, Ferguson, W Agar

Renegades have named the same squad which has won its last two. They await significant fireworks from opening pair Josh Bown and Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Probable Sixers XI:brown, Fraser-McGurk, Seifert, Bethell, Evans, harvey, Sutherland, T Rogers, O'Neill, Zampa, Richardson

Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Big Bash pitch report

Eight of the last 13 first-innings at this ground have come under a 155.5 mark. Thunder posted 163 against Sixers in the first game this season and were beaten on a last-ball thriller. So we don't expect big runs. We expect the par line to be available to sell at the 160 mark which would be spot on for the historic run rate.

Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Big Bash match prediction

The match odds market is struggling to split these two. It's 1.9620/21 the pair and in the absence of a toss bias or a weather forecast which makes this a leveller, it's a puzzler as to why Renegades are not clear favourites.

Man-for-man they are superior to Thunder, who don't forget are depleted. Their form is also more impressive. Renegades have beaten Perth and hammered Hurricanes while they ran the Sixers close in their opener. By contrast, Thunder have beaten the awful Stars and needed some dreadful death bowling from Lloyd Pope to thieve a win against Striker.

Renegades should put down a marker in this one and establish themselves as one of the top two in the tournament. if they don't, early confidence in them will start to subside. It's a watershed game.

Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Big Bash player bets

David Warner has had a decent hit at the Showground in his short Bash career and ti may pay to get involved with him for top thunder bat. he is very much in the win zone after three blanks and the 13/53.60 with Sportsbook is worth an interest. The 9/25.50 about Jacob Bethell doing likewise for renegades is also worth of a wager. It's a drift from earlier prices this term of 4s.

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