Melbourne Stars v Perth Scorchers Big Bash Tips: Stars can go on the charge

• Scorchers bowlers lost radar

• Stars need fast start

• Clarke 7/2 after ton

Melbourne Stars v Perth Scorchers
Friday 23 December, 04:30
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

Stars have a win over the Hurricanes and a narrow defeat by Thunder. The latter is beginning to loom like a black mark. The former was inspired by a ton by Joe Clarke.

Batter James Seymour has been named as an injury replacement player for Joe Burns, who injured his hamstring against the Thunder.

Possible XI: Clarke, Rogers, Webster, Stoinis, Cartwright, Larkin, Wood, Campbell, Coulter-Nile, Boult, Zampa

Scorchers' normally reliable death bowling flopped against the Hurricanes, leaving their batters with too much to do in their last outing. In a chase of 174 they came up eight short.

When they lose the radar in the field they are uder pressure. The batting line-up has had significant churn in the off-season. Faf Du Plessis and Adam Lyth are yet to gel as an opening pair. Stephen Eskinazi may get a game to bolster them.

Probable XI: Lyth, Du Plessis, Inglis, Turner, Eskinazi, Hardie, Agar, Richardson, Tye, Behrendorff, Hatzoglou

Pitch report

There has been only one Bash men's game played at the Junction Oval, St Kilda. And it was by these teams in January. Perth won easily after posting 180. In the women's Bash there have been two scores of 170 or more in the last four. It could be full of runs for an overs par line bet from that limited eveidence. No rain is forecast.

How to play

Stars are 2.206/5 with Perth Scorchers 1.804/5. That's a skinny price about Perth and we had this down as a choice affair.

That's as much to do with the importance of the toss as anything. On a potentially flat track, a score of 170 or more first up will have the batting side trading as short favourites. Therefore a trade on Stars going well up front could pay off.

Tops value

Du Plessis and Clarke, who notched a fifty in this fixture in January on this ground, have been boosted to 11/4 and 7/2 respectively by Sportsbook for top Perth and Stars bat. We've made a note of Syemour at 9/1 for Stars because he has opened previously. Campbell Kellaway is also an opener by trade and is 16/1. Marcus Stoinis is 7/2 for top Stars bat and 10s for man of the match.