SYDNEY S VS. MELBOURNE S: AUSTRALIA T20 LEAGUE 2021-22, MATCH 1 | PREDICTION, PLAYING 11 AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Defending champions Sydney S take on Melbourne S in the opening match of the Australia T20 League 2021-22 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday evening.
Sydney S emerged as the champions of the last edition of the competition, beating Perth S by 27 runs in the Final at this very venue. Moises Henriques will lead the team with Josh Phillipe and James Vince, giving plenty of firepower in the batting unit. The addition of Chris Jordan will provide death-bowling strength alongside Tom Curran and veteran Dan Christain.
On the other hand, Melbourne S had a disappointing last season. They finished 7th in the points table, winning just 5 games out of their 14 matches. With world champions like skipper Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinins and Adam Zampa in the side, the team will be looking to start this new season strongly.
Match Details
- Game: Sydney S vs. Melbourne S, Match 1
- Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
- Date & Time: Dec. 5, 2021, at 2:05 PM IST/7:35 PM Local
Probable Playing XI
Sydney S
Josh Philippe (WK), James Vince, Moises Henriques (C), Daniel Hughes, Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Tom Curran, Sean Abbott, Hayden Kerr, Steve O’Keefe, Chris Jordan
Melbourne S
Joe Clarke, Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell (C), Beau Webster, Hilton Cartwright, Peter Neville (WK), Sam Rainbird, Adam Zampa, Syed Faridoun, Sam Elliot
Weather Report
The temperature should be around 18 degrees when the game starts, with quite a bit of cloud cover.
Pitch Report
The surface at the SCG has traditionally favored pace bowlers, but there are big runs in store for the batters too. The average first-innings score during the three T20s played on this ground last season was 189.
Toss
With dew expected to play a big role, it will be an advantage to the batters while chasing here. The team bowling first has managed to win 3 out of the last 5 T20s played here. A first-innings score of around 180 runs can be pretty competitive on this ground.
Top Fantasy Picks
Wicketkeeper
- Josh Philippe was the third-highest run scorer of the previous season, scoring 508 runs in 16 games at an average of 31.75 and strike rate of 149.41. He is pretty aggressive at the top of the order and has been in good form.
Batter
- James Vince was the star man for Sydney in their title run last season, scoring 98* and 95 in the Qualifier and the Final, respectively. He was the second-highest run scorer of the previous season, with 537 runs at an average of 38.36 and a strike rate of 143.58. Vince has scored 482 runs in 14 T20s here at an average of 43.82.
All-Rounder
- Glenn Maxwell can destroy any bowling attack, with a strike rate of over 150 in the T20 format. He has the most runs against Sydney S, with 569 in 14 matches at a strike rate of 157.18. This includes scores of 66 and 71* last season. Moreover, he can take useful wickets with his off-spin in the middle overs.
Bowler
- Adam Zampa is coming off a dream T20 World Cup campaign. He was outstanding with the ball in last year’s tournament, taking 19 wickets at an average of 17.47. Zampa has a good record against Sydney S: 7 innings, 11 wickets, avg. 16.45, economy rate 6.96.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: Joe Clarke, Josh Philippe
- Batters: James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin
- All-rounders: Sean Abbott, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Christian
- Bowlers: Sam Rainbird, Tom Curran, Adam Zampa
- Captain: Josh Philippe/James Vince
- Vice Captain: Glenn Maxwell/Adam Zampa
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own team from today’s fantasy cricket match prediction and play all the upcoming matches of India from the tour of South Africa. 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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