Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers Big Bash Tips: Heat in hot water again

• Strikers surprisingly big in the betting

• Heat batting is weak and uncompetitive

• Rashid Khan could dominate and is a MOTM option

Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers
Friday 23 December, 00:00
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

Heat are bottom of the pile and it is no surprise given their squad building. They have lost twice to Renegades.

Still, Michael Neser has undoubtedly improved their bowling. He took four wickets against the Renegades last time to set up a finish which was far closer than it should have been in a defence of just 138. Their batting is a real issue.

Probable XI: Bryant, Munro, Renshaw, Billings, Peirson, Whiteley, Bazley, Neser, Steketee, Swepson, Kuhnemann

Strikers are three from three, defying pre-season predictions that their batting wasn't strong enough. In truth they're heavily reliant on Matt Short who is doing the majority of the rungetting. Short has 158 runs.

The bowling is fantastic. They're conceding at less than five runs an over at the moment so the batters are not feeling much heat. That could change when Raskid Khan departs.

Probable XI: Short, Weatherald, Lynn, Hose, De Grandhomme, Kelly, Nielseon, Rashid, W Agar, Thornton, Siddle

Pitch report

Seven of the last 13 first-innings at The Gabba have seen scores of 170 or more. It should be one for runs. However, we can't just blindly go big. What if Heat bat first against that mean Strikers attack? We'd have to go over the par line only if Strikers bat first.

How to play

Strikers are 1.715/7 to win this one and that is a surprise. We thought they would be in the 1.608/13 region. On form and personnel they should be that sort of price. So there's nowt wrong with taking the skinny price and expecting it to pay off.

A route to victory for Heat is tricky to see. They would probably need another super show from Neser with the ball as the rest of the unit doesn't inspire confidence. But even then Strikers' bowling attack should relish a tepid Heat set-up.

Tops value

Colin Munro is 3/1 jolly for top Heat bat with Sportsbook after returning to his old opening berth. Short is 3/1 for top Strikers bat. Given Akeal Hosein's seven wickets against Heat over two games Raskid Khan is of interest for man of the match at 9/1. He is 21/10 for top Strikers wicket-taker.