Match 7 of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2021-22 will see Melbourne Stars battling it out with Sydney Thunder in the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday (December 10). The two sides have made contrasting starts to their respective campaigns and it would be interesting to see how the upcoming contest pans out.

The Stars couldn’t have made a worse start as they suffered a humiliating 152-run defeat against defending champions Sydney Sixers in the season opener. Hence, the Glenn Maxwell-led side has quite some work to do. On the other hand, Chris Green’s Sydney Thunder thrashed Brisbane Heat by seven wickets in their first assignment. Melbourne Stars lost their first match of the Big Bash League 2021-22.

Peter Neville is the top run-scorer for Melbourne Stars with 18 runs at a strike rate of 128. He has struck 2 fours. Hilton Cartwright has also made 10 runs at a strike rate of 111.

BL Couch has been the best bowler for Melbourne Stars and has picked up 2 wickets while bowling at an average of 18 and an economy rate of 12.00.

Sydney Thunder won their first match of the Big Bash League 2021-22.

Alex Ross is the top run-scorer for Sydney Thunder with 61 runs at a strike rate of 132. He has struck 7 fours and 2 sixes. Sam Billings has also made 44 runs at a strike rate of 122.

Daniel Sams has been the best bowler for Sydney Thunder and has picked up 3 wickets while bowling at an average of 7 and an economy rate of 5.50.

MATCH DETAILS:

Match – Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder– Match
Venue – Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Time – 01:45 PM IST, 08:15 AM GMT

PITCH REPORT 

The track hasn’t been a high-scoring one in the past and hence, batters need to showcase application to get runs on this surface. With the dimensions of the ground being on the larger side, the spinner would come in handy in the middle overs. The toss-winning captain must elect to bowl first as pacers might also get some assistance in the initial phase of the game.
Average score: 141 (7 T20Is at Melbourne Cricket Ground)
Record of chasing teams: Won – 7, Lost – 7, N/R – 1

MELBOURNE STARS VS SYDNEY THUNDER PREDICTION

As you can see in the above specifics, Melbourne Stars is the favorite team for this match. As we can see from the match of last season, Melbourne Stars was a strong team, with strong players.

MATCH PREDICTION:

Melbourne Stars have a 51% chance of winning
Sydney Thunder have a 49% chance of winning

BIG BASH TODAY MATCH PREDICTION

Melbourne Stars is a strong team based on  Prediction. If they are batting and the bowling department performs, winning today’s Match for Melbourne Stars is up. The equal odds of winning for both teams for today’s match are shown below.

WEATHER REPORT

Sunny conditions will give way to clear night skies with highs of 35 degrees in this game in Sydney Cricket Ground.

MELBOURNE STARS VS SYDNEY THUNDER TOSS PREDICTION

The toss plays a key role in all matches’ decisions in Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder 2021. Based on our toss prediction, the team that wins the toss can choose to bat first according to the weather forecast and pitch condition.

MELBOURNE STARS VS SYDNEY THUNDER HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS

Results of Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder Head-To-Head Stats

Overall: 15
Melbourne Stars: 8
Sydney Thunder: 7
T: 0
NR: 0

PROBABLE XIS

MELBOURNE STARS

PREDICTED XI: 

• Joe Clarke
• Peter Nevill (wk)
• Nick Larkin
• Glenn Maxwell (c)
• Hilton Cartwright
• Andre Russell
• Sam Rainbird
• Samuel Elliott
• Brody Couch
• Adam Zampa
• Syed Faridoun

SYDNEY THUNDER

PREDICTED XI: 

• Alex Hales
• Sam Whiteman
• Matthew Gilkes
• Sam Billings (WK)
• Alex Ross
• Daniel Sams
• Ben Cutting
• Chris Green (C)
• Nathan McAndrew
• Gurinder Sandhu
• Tanveer Sangha

MELBOURNE STARS VS SYDNEY THUNDER HEAD-TO-HEAD:

• Matches- 14
•  Melbourne Stars – 8
• Sydney Thunder – 7
• N/R- 0

PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS

ALEX HALES – SYDNEY THUNDERS

The England opener might have bagged a duck in the previous clash. However, taking him lightly won’t be wise for the Glenn Maxwell-led side. Hales can attack bowlers from the outset and his ability to play big knocks makes him an even greater asset. Not to forget, he’s one of the most successful batters in BBL history.

ADAM ZAMPA – MELBOURNE STARS

The star leg-spinner was instrumental in taking Australia to the T20 World Cup title last month. Hence, there’s no reason why Zampa can’t replicate his heroics in BBL. The star bowler didn’t enjoy a great time in the season opener, conceding 34 runs in four overs and going wicketless. However, he would be a force to reckon with in Melbourne conditions.

TODAY’S MATCH PREDICTION: SYDNEY THUNDERS TO WIN THE MATCH.