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MELBOURNE S VS. ADELAIDE S: AUSTRALIAN T20 LEAGUE, MATCH 40 | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS

In match 40 of the Australian T20 League 2020, Melbourne S take on Adelaide S at the MCG in Melbourne on Friday evening.

Melbourne S’ poor run in the tournament continued as they lost to Adelaide S in their last match. The Stars have won only one of their last seven matches. They are in seventh place with 16 points from nine games. 

M Stoinis and N Maddinson scored a couple of 40s but the rest of the batting line-up did not contribute much. The Stars only managed to put up a total of 149 runs in the first innings. Apart from A Zampa, no one in the Stars bowling line-up looked threatening enough, which enabled the Strikers to comfortably reach the target with an over left.

Adelaide S bounced back from their loss to the Renegades as they beat Melbourne S with a good all-round performance. They now sit in fourth place with 20 points from ten matches. 

R Khan, W Agar, and D Worrall took two wickets each as they restricted the Stars to a reasonable total. R Khan played his last game in this year’s tournament as he leaves for his international duty with Afghanistan. The Strikers were able to chase down the Stars’ total quite comfortably with significant contributions from everyone.

With the group stage approaching the end, each game becomes more important. This will be an exciting encounter at the MCG. 

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Match Details

  • Match: Melbourne S vs. Adelaide S, Match 40
  • Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
  • Date & Time: Jan. 15, 2021, at 1.45 PM IST

Probable Playing XI

Melbourne S

  • M Stoinis, A Fletcher, N Larkin, G Maxwell (C), N Maddinson, H Cartwright, S Gotch (WK), A Zampa, B Stanlake, L Hatcher, S Rainbird 
  • X-factor substitutes: Z Khan, L Morris

Adelaide S

  • P Salt, M Renshaw, A Carey (C & WK), J Wells, J Weatherald, R Gibson, D Worrall, H Conway, D Briggs, W Agar 
  • X-factor substitutes: H Nielsen, C Valente

Weather and Pitch Report

The weather in Melbourne is expected to be a little cloudy during the match. The temperature will be around 14 degrees during the game.

This will be the first match to be played at the MCG this season. The pitch here has always been hard and consistently even. The ball comes on to the bat nicely but seamers also get help throughout the game. The average first innings score in the five games played here last season has been 166 runs.

The captain winning the toss is likely to field first to get to know the pitch conditions better in the first innings. A total of around 170 runs should be a competitive one.

Key Players

  • M Stoinis has been the backbone of the Stars batting line-up in the last few matches. He has scored 277 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 160. With the team struggling for consistency, he will look to play a big knock in front of the home crowd.
  • G Maxwell has scored 255 runs at an average of 36 and a superb strike rate of 151 this season. However, he got out for a duck in the last two matches. For a batsman of his potential, he will want to make up for that with a big score here.
  • A Zampa was brilliant with the ball in the last game, with figures of 2 for 20 in his four overs. He has picked up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.11 in the tournament so far. He will look to pick up wickets here too.
  • P Salt has been good at the top of the order for the Strikers, scoring 221 runs at a strike rate of 133. He has two half centuries in the tournament and will look to add to that tally here.
  • A Carey is the top run scorer for the Strikers this season, with 279 runs at an average of 34.87. He has had double-figure scores in the past six innings, but has been able to convert only one into a half century. He will look to add to that tally in this match.
  • W Agar is the highest wicket taker for the Strikers, with 17 wickets in ten matches at an average of 16.88 and an economy rate of 7.58. He was the Player of the Match in the last game, with figures of 2 for 19 in four overs.

Howzat Dream Team

  • Wicketkeeper: A Carey
  • Batsmen: P Salt, J Wells, N Maddinson
  • All-rounders: M Stoinis, G Maxwell
  • Bowlers: W Agar, D Worrall, H Conway, A Zampa, S Rainbird
  • Captain: P Salt/W Agar
  • Vice Captain: G Maxwell/A Zampa
Howzat Dream Team Melbourne S vs Adelaide S

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and win cash prize. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

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