Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash Tips: Siddle absence a blow for hosts

• Pitch tricky to call

• Rashid may play last game

• Crawey in for Hobart

Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes
Sunday 25 September, 00:00
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Team news

This should be Rashid Khan's last game for the Strikers before the start of the SA T20 league on Tuesday given that he captains the Cape Town franchise. It's not great timing considering Peter Siddle faces a lay-off with a back injury.

Leggie Cameron Boyce does come back from an injury though in the nick of time. Matt Short will captain the team and Henry Thornton and Jake Weatherald are both available.

Possible XI: Short, Weatherald, Lynn, Hose, de Grandhomme, Kelly, Neilsen, Rashid, W Agar, Boyce, Thornton

Shadab Khan is away with Pakistan prepping for white-ball contests against New Zealand. Jimmy Neesham has also left. Zak Crawley comes in for a short stint to replace Shadab and Faheem Ashraf has already played one game.

Crawley's arrival makes them unbalanced in terms of batting style. They have a glut of batters who would rather be opening. D'Arcy Short may have to miss out after Caleb Jewell's fifty against Strikers, who may move to No 3.

Possible XI: Crawley, McDermott, Jewell, Wade, David, Asif, Faheem, Owen, Ellis, Dooley, Meredith

Pitch report

We're not entirely sure what to make of the Adelaide surface. Only two teams batting first busted 170 from seven in the World T20. In last term's Bash the mark was also busted twice from seven. More than 160 was bang on even money including World T20 and the 2021-22 Bash matches.

This season there have been scores of 186, 184 and 150. With Strikers depleted in their bowling stock slightly, it might be worth a small interest on 170 or more for Hobart at around 2.1011/10.

How to play

Strikers are 2.166/5 outsiders with Hobart 1.845/6. The markets have been keen on the Hurricanes from the get go and a win on the head-to-head this week reinforces their favouritism.

It was an easy win, too. In a chase of 178 Hobart got home for the loss of three wickets and 16 balls remaining. Batting first they could well be 1.501/2 at the break.

Tops value

The 10/3 about Crawley top scoring for HH is enticing. But we're put off by the fact that we cannot be sure he will open. Caleb Jewell and Ben McDermott, who got fifties in the opening slot against Strikers, are 11/2 and 11/4 respectively.

For Strikers, Matt Short has been overtaken by Chris Lynn as their Mr Reliable. He might return to form here and the 13/5 is of interest.