SYDNEY S VS. PERTH S: AUSTRALIAN T20 LEAGUE, FINAL | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
In the final of the Australian T20 League 2020/21, Sydney S take on Perth S at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday evening.
Sydney S earned the right to host the final as they registered an impressive victory over Perth S by 9 wickets in the qualifier. They will be looking to win their 2nd consecutive title in front of their home crowd.
The Sixers’ bowlers did well to limit Perth’s strong batting line-up to a par total of 167. The score never looked like it would be enough to trouble Sydney S, which proved to be the case. J Philippe and J Vince put on 92 runs for the first wicket to set their side well on the way to register a victory. B Dwarshuis was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 40 in his spell.
Perth S overcame their disappointment of losing the qualifier against Sydney S last week as they defeated Brisbane H in the challenger to enter their sixth final in the league’s history. They will look to avenge their defeat in the qualifier and win their 4th title.
The Scorchers powered their way to 189 in 18.1 overs, thanks to the efforts of C Bancroft, L Livingstone, and M Marsh. The match was disrupted by rain at the beginning of the 18th over, so 2 overs were reduced from each innings. Defending a revised target of 200 in 18 overs, the bowlers put on a superb show to limit the Heat batsmen to 150 runs and register a 49-run victory. Perth's strength lies in their batting and if they repeat that performance here, it will be very difficult for the Sixers to beat them this time.
With glory that awaits the winner, expect both teams to battle hard in a close encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Match Details
- Match: Sydney S vs. Perth S, Final
- Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
- Date & Time: Feb. 6, 2021, at 2:10 PM IST
Probable Playing XI
Sydney S
- J Philippe (WK), J Vince, D Hughes, M Henriques (C), J Silk, D Christian, C Brathwaite, B Manenti, S O’Keefe, S Abbott, J Bird
- X-factor substitutes: L Pope, J Avendano
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 is expected to be cloudy with intermittent showers in Sydney during the match. The temperature will be around 23 degrees during the game.
This is the first game of the season at this venue. Generally SCG is one of the good batting tracks in the country, and it is expected to have good bounce and carry. It will provide early movement to the seamers and a bit of assistance to the spinners. Massive scores were made in the recent international matches played here. The average first innings score in the last two T20I games played here has been 190 runs.
Batting first is usually the safe option in big finals but with a rain threat and a good batting pitch on offer, expect the captain winning the toss to opt to field first. A score of around 175 runs should be a competitive one here.
Key Players
- J Philippe is the second-highest run scorer this season, with 499 runs at an average of 33.26 and a strike rate of 150.3. He has scored 84 and 45 in the last two matches played against the Scorchers. Having recently been declared the Player of the Tournament for his fabulous performance this season, he will look to live up to that name and score big in the final.
- J Vince has been in superb form in his last five matches, scoring 239 runs at an average of 59.75. He scored 98* in the last game and almost single-handedly took the team to the final. He will look to continue his brilliant form in this match too.
- B Dwarshuis is the highest wicket taker for the Sixers this season, with 21 wickets at an average of 17.42. He has picked up 7 wickets in the last three games and will look to add more wickets to his tally in the final.
- L Livingstone set the tone for Perth’s innings with an outstanding knock of 77 runs off 39 balls, including 5 boundaries and 6 sixes. Expect him to continue his attacking form in this match and put the Sixers bowlers under pressure right from the start.
- C Munro is the top run scorer for the Scorchers this season, with 411 runs in 14 matches at an average of 34.25. He did not get the opportunity to bat in the last game as M Marsh was promoted ahead of him in the batting order. He will look to lead the scoring in a big game like this.
- J Behrendoff dismissed both the openers of the opposition in the last game to give his team a good start. He played a crucial part in the bowling department and ended the match with figures of 2 for 19 in 3 overs.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: J Inglis, J Philippe
- Batsmen: M Henriques, J Vince, C Munro
- All-rounders: D Christian, L Livingstone
- Bowlers: B Dwarshuis, S Abbott, A Tye, J Behrendorff
- Captain: J Philippe/D Christian
- Vice Captain: C Munro/L Livingstone
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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