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MELBOURNE S VS. PERTH S: AUSTRALIAN T20 LEAGUE, MATCH 50 | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS

In match 50 of the Australian T20 League 2020/21, Melbourne S take on Perth S at the MCG in Melbourne on Saturday evening.

Melbourne’s hopes of making the final were dented after their loss against the Renegades in the Melbourne Derby. With all teams fighting hard for the qualification spots in the points table, this loss can come back to haunt them later.

The Stars failed to extend their two-match win streak as they suffered a five-wicket loss despite being in a strong position for most of the match. N Larkin’s 61* helped the Stars put up a competitive total of 158. Although they dismissed S Marsh and A Finch early, the Stars bowling attack failed to counter a late fightback from the Renegades batsmen.

Perth S added to their streak of consecutive victories as they beat Hobart H by 22 runs to book their place in the knockout round. They have won seven of their last eight matches and will be looking to continue their good form in the tournament.

J Inglis held the innings together with a sensible knock of 58, which helped his side to another solid total of 179. The bowling unit was very impressive and J Richardson led the pack with figures of 4 for 33. He was well supported by J Behrendorff and A Tye in successfully defending the total.

With the group stage coming to an end soon and the qualification spots still open, this promises to be an exciting encounter at the MCG.

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Match Details

  • Match: Melbourne S vs. Perth S, Match 50
  • Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
  • Date & Time: Jan. 23, 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, Z Khan, N Coulter-Nile 
  • X-factor substitutes: S Rainbird, L Hatcher 

Perth S

  • J Roy, L Livingstone, C Munro, J Inglis (WK), M Marsh, A Turner (C), A Hardie, A Tye, F Ahmed, J Richardson, J Behrendorff
  • X-factor substitutes: J Paris, C Bancroft

Weather and Pitch Report

The weather in Melbourne is expected to be clear during the match. The temperature will be around 30 degrees during the game.

The pitch at the MCG is hard and has something in it for both batsmen and bowlers. The batsmen will have to be mindful of the big long boundaries while playing their shots. Spin bowlers will get help from the pitch as the match progresses. The average first innings score in the two games played here this season has been 165 runs.

As the pitch tends to get a little two-paced and grip more as the match progresses, the captain winning the toss is likely to opt to bat first. A total of around 175 runs should be a competitive one. 

Key Players

  • M Stoinis is the highest run scorer for the Stars this season, with 370 runs in ten matches at an average of 37 and a strike rate of 143.41. He made 80 runs in the last two matches against the Renegades and picked up a wicket too.
  • N Larkin has been in good form with the bat for the Stars. Half of his runs in the tournament have come in the last two matches. He made his highest score of 61* in the last game against the Renegades. He will look to continue his good form here.
  • N Coulter-Nile bowled well in the last game after missing most of the season due to injury. He has picked up 9 wickets in four matches at an average of 9.77 and an economy rate of 6.36. He took 3 for 41 in the last game against the Renegades.
  • L Livingstone has continued his good form with the bat for the Scorchers. In the last match, he scored a quickfire 26 of 15 balls and also picked up an important wicket with the ball. He was Perth's top scorer last season and looks good to score some more runs in this game.
  • C Munro is the top run scorer for the Scorchers this season, with 358 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 131.13. He has been very consistent and has scored four half centuries in the tournament so far. He will be looking to add to that tally against the Stars.
  • J Richardson is the highest wicket taker of the season, with 25 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.47 and an average of 11. He picked up his second four wicket haul in the last game and played a useful cameo of 29 runs with the bat. Expect him to put up a good performance in this match.   

Howzat Dream Team

  • Wicketkeeper: J Inglis
  • Batsmen: N Larkin, N Maddinson, C Munro, J Roy
  • All-rounders: M Stoinis, L Livingstone 
  • Bowlers: Z Khan, N Coulter-Nile, J Richardson, F Ahmed
  • Captain: L Livingstone/J Richardson
  • Vice Captain: N Coulter-Nile/M Stoinis
Howzat Dream Team Melbourne S vs Perth 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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