The ultimate encounter of Australia T20 League will witness Melbourne Stars squaring off against Sydney Sixers in the epic final of the tournament. The match will take place on Saturday (February 8th) at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The game will kick-start at 1:45 PM IST. Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers have been one of the most consistent sides in this season and they will look to cross the final hurdle to clinch the coveted trophy.
Melbourne Stars, after suffering a humiliating defeat against Sydney Sixers in the Qualifier, made a roaring comeback in the Challenger clash against Sydney Thunders. The Glenn Maxwell-led side batted brilliantly in the penultimate encounter and posted a high scoring total of 194. Thunder succumbed under pressure and lost by 28 runs, which allowed Stars to reach their second final in a row, third overall. Melbourne Stars’ record in the finals have not been good and they will be eager to turn things around this time to bag their maiden title.
Sydney Sixers, on the other hand, will have an upper hand in the final as they defeated the Stars in the recent Qualifier round. The Sixers were not up to the mark with the bat, but their top-order managed to score enough runs to post 142/7 before their bowlers run a havoc to skittle the Stars for 99. With the presence of Steve Smith, Sixers will feel confident of winning their second Australia T20 League title.
Head to Head
|
Matches Played |
Sydney Sixers |
Melbourne Stars |
No Result |
|
13 |
6 |
7 |
0 |
Pitch Report
Sydney surface has been known for producing spin friendly pitches and we can expect the same for this game as well. Both teams will look to bat first in the pressure final.
Weather Conditions
Rain can play a spoil sport in the final as intense prolonged rain has been forecasted for the match day. The temperature will be around 21 degrees Celsius with heavy winds.
Probable Playing XI
Melbourne Stars
Nic Maddinson, Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, Peter Handscomb (wk), Glenn Maxwell (C), Seb Gotch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa, Daniel Worrall, Haris Rauf, Clint Hinchliffe.
Sydney Sixers
Moises Henriques (c), Josh Philippe (wk), James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Steve Smith, Jordan Silk, Ben Dwarshuis, Steve O’Keefe, Sean Abbott, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Key Players
Melbourne Stars
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Sydney Sixers
Moises Henriques
Steve Smith
