Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder: Perth gambling with the ball

• Pitch has suited bowlers

• Cutting stands out at 20/1

• Perth may pick only five bowlers

Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder
Wednesday 4 January, 10:15
TV: Live on BT Sports

Team news

Perth brought Cameron Bancroft back into the fold for success over Renegades. He rewarded them with a match-winning effort. Bancrift can be pinderous but a strike rate of 140-plus was a major boost.

Adam Lyth remains under pressure in the opening slot and Stephen Eskinazi is now worthy of a go given poor returns. Lyth leaves in less than a week anyway. Ashton Agar is unavailable because of Australia duty and Perth are gambling on five bowlers.

Possible XI: Du Plessis, Eskinazi, Bancroft, Inglis, Turner, Hardie, Hobson, Richardson, Tye, Behrendorff, Hatzoglou

Thunder have won three on the spin and went second with a hammering of Hurricanes at Albury. However, it could be all change for a squad already hit by unavailability.

This will probably be Rilee Rossouw's last match before leaving for the SA league. Ales Hales may also be playing his final match. With Tanveer and Jason Sangha both injured they are likely to feel the squeeze soon.

Probable XI: Gilkes, Hales, Rossouw, O Davies, Sams, Ross, Cutting, McAndrew, Green, Doggett, Qadir

Pitch report

Faith in the flat Perth pitch is diminishing. Only six of the last 14 at Perth Stadium have seen first-innings scores of 170 or more now. We have had three scores of sub 155 or fewer in the Bash this term. Stars managed only 135 last time out.

Going under 160 in the first dig is probably a lay at odds-on if Thunder bat first but we have a nagging worry about the hosts lack of bowling options.

How to play

Perth are 1.748/11 with Thunder 2.3527/20. There are contradictory elements at play here which make us worry about getting with Perth at short odds.

Yes the pitch suits their superb bowling attack. But Thunder are the exactly sort of batting unit to be gung-ho against a unit with only five options, and one of them being the vulnerable Aaron Hardie. Man for man Perth should deliver a sixth win in seven but they may have some nervous moments.

Tops value

We've been waiting for Ben Cutting to come into the Thunder XI and this seems like a good opportunity to bet him for top Thunder bat. Cutting is whopping at 22s and on a potentially tricky pitch against a crack new-ball outfit, Cutting could get a chance to win. Hales has been boosted to 11/4 for Thunder and likewise faf Du Plessis for Perth.