Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder Predictions: BBL10 22nd Match Preview

For a team that won the league two years ago, Melbourne Renegades’ performance since has been nothing close to that of a champion’s. All the way down in seventh place after 5 matches with just one win to their name, the only reason they’re not any lower is because Perth Scorchers are yet to secure even one win. After an agonizing defeat to Sydney Sixers, the Renegades will now face Sydney Thunder - one of the teams to have massacred them earlier in the season. With memories of that clash still fresh in their minds, Thunder will be looking to double down and have another resounding win to hopefully reach the top spot in the league. They have never managed to finish first in the league stage, but look hungry for it this year. Before the umpires walk out to the middle, let’s take a look at the two teams.

Melbourne Renegades Predicted XI, Preview, Form, and Key Players for this match

Predicted XI: Shaun Marsh (c), Mackenzie Harvey, Aaron Finch, Sam Harper (wk), Josh Lalor, Kane Richardson, Josh Lalor, Mohammad Nabi, Rilee Rossouw, Imad Wasim, Peter Hatzoglou.

For a team that has historically underperformed in a competition, winning the title is a huge boost, but finishing the very next season in last place is just as big a morale destroyer (just ask Sydney Thunder). MR seem to still be reeling from the shockwaves from that, and they badly need to string a few wins together in order to get out of both their situation with regard to the tournament and that mental rut. In their last match, they got off to a solid start and navigated Sydney Sixers bowlers well for the first half of the match, with Shaun Marsh scoring a fantastic 67 off 48 with support from a slower Aaron Finch. Although the second half didn’t live up to the promise, MR still managed to put a strong 168 on the board. On the defense, they did pretty well to not let SS strike up a sizable partnership after their opening, with Kane Richardson, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Nabi picking up 2 each while also conceding at 5.5 an over or less. However, they entrusted the very last over to rookie quick Will Sutherland, who turned out to be no match for Jason Holder as the latter got the required 16 with a ball to spare. 

Key players

• Shaun Marsh: Shaun Marsh played superbly last game, and batting like that will definitely give the Renegades the chance they need to get this much-needed win.

• Aaron Finch: Uncharacteristically slow in the last match, Finch needs to be scoring at his usual pace while also keeping his wicket intact because his team doesn’t have a very promising middle order. 

• Mohammad Nabi: The big man finally showed some of what he’s capable of in the last game, and a similar or better performance would be crucial at this point.

• Kane Richardson: With pace, skill, and experience, Richardson has to spearhead the MR bowling attack and get a few early wickets if possible.

Sydney Thunder Predicted XI, Preview, Form, and Key Players for this match

Predicted XI: Callum Ferguson (c), Oliver Davies, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Sam Billings (wk), Usman Khawaja, Chris Tremain, Adam Milne, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha. 

It’s not usual for Sydney Thunder to have 4 wins and 1 loss after 5 matches, and they have been nothing short of fantastic so far this season. With many of their players in good form, and the highest net run rate of any team, they are a point behind their regional rivals, and if they get this win, can overtake the Sixers for the time being. In their last match, they were asked to bat first by the only team that has defeated them so far, Melbourne Stars. This is no longer the Sydney Thunder from the first match, though, and they went to town on the Stars bowlers. Alex Hales was murderous throughout his 29-ball 71, and the usually cautious Callum Ferguson was uncharacteristically aggressive for his 51 off 33. When the dust settled, Thunder had 219 on the board. ST’s defense was just as good, as Chris Green starred with 4 and Tanveer Sangha and Chris Tremain took 2 each to limit the Stars to 144 for a 71-run win.

Key players

• Alex Hales: After the last match, there’s simply no doubt on anyone’s mind as to how dangerous the English import can be. 

• Callum Ferguson: Currently in possession of the Orange Cap, Ferguson has been Captain Consistent for Thunder.

• Sam Billings: Hales’ fellow Briton may have had a quiet game the first time around, but don’t expect him to continue slouching. 

• Tanveer Sangha: With 9 wickets in 5 matches, Sangha has made a mark at this year’s BBL, and doesn’t look like he’s stopping any time soon.

MR vs ST weather and pitch conditions

Things don’t look good on the weather front with heavy cloud cover and a chance of precipitation as high as 60%. One can only hope that it rains long before or right after the match, and that any interruption is short and doesn’t affect the game much.

Currently, the Carrara Oval seems to be a ground that offers plenty of exciting action with both bowlers and batsmen having a good time. As far as the latter go, though, those who are able to achieve movement have a bigger edge. 

Can the Renegades finally get a second win to come back into the tournament? Or will Thunder add another win to their ongoing 4-win spree? Find out if our Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder predictions come true on Friday!