Defending champions Perth Scorchers will challenge Adelaide Strikers in the knockout of the ongoing Big Bash League. Notably, the winner of the match will move on to Qualifier 2 and will challenge the winner of Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Sixers, while the loser will be eliminated from the competition.

Coming to Scorchers, the Aaron Hardie-led side started well but lost two out of their last three matches in the league. Had they won their previous encounter against Sydney Sixers, the team would have had an extra opportunity to qualify for the finals but that didn’t happen. Batting has been a bit of an issue for some time now but there’s a lot of quality in the bag and if they click at the right time, the Scorchers can prove to be a difficult team to beat.

When it comes to Adelaide Strikers, their skipper Matthew Short is in remarkable form at the moment. In nine matches, the 28-year-old has smashed 509 runs at a strike rate of 153.77 and with that, he is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament. Jamie Overton has done well with the leather as he is the second-highest wicker-taker and thus, the team will be confident of their chances in the match. 

Overall, a brilliant encounter is awaited when the Scorchers take on the Strikers on January 20 at the Perth Stadium.

Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers Predicted Playing XI:

Perth Scorchers: Stephen Eskinazi, Sam Whiteman, Aaron Hardie (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Laurie Evans, Cooper Connolly, Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris

Adelaide Strikers: Matthew Short (c), D Arcy Short, Jake Weatherald, Adam Hose, Thomas Kelly, Jamie Overton, Harry Nielsen (wk), Henry Thornton, David Payne, Cameron Boyce, Lloyd Pope