Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes Predictions: BBL 55th Match Preview

Of the 5 teams poised to fight a deadly battle for survival in the BBL, the Hobart Hurricanes are probably the luckiest. While other teams are playing already qualified or fellow competitors, the Hurricanes will be up against last place Melbourne Renegades. With only 3 wins to their name, the Renegades are way below everyone else, and although the the Hurricanes haven’t exactly been acing their games, they still definitely have the firepower to make it past the Renegades. Unlike the Sydney Thunder, the Hurricanes cannot rely on a single Bash Boost point because of their miserable net run rate, so they must either win or pray for the Heat and the Stars to both lose. Before this desperate struggle ensues, let’s take a look at the two teams.

Melbourne Renegades

Predicted XI

Aaron Finch (c), Beau Webster, Mackenzie Harvey, Sam Harper (wk), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rilee Rossouw, Shaun Marsh, Peter Hatzoglou, Josh Lalor, Zak Evans, Imad Wasim.

Preview and form

Just when it looked like the Renegades might flare up for a respectable exit, things returned to ‘normalcy’ as they crashed out early against the Heat. Despite Zak Evans’ 3-wicket haul, and decent performances by Peter Hatzoglou and Imad Wasim, the rest of the bowlers were ineffective, and the Renegades were left with a daunting target of 174. On the chase, despite a decent second-wicket partnership, the Renegades kept losing wickets, and despite being in a potentially winning position at one point thanks to Sam Harper’s 57 and Shaun Marsh’s 28, the rest of the team couldn’t get the remaining runs and ended up folding for an inadequate 147 for a 26-run loss.

MR Key players

Aaron Finch: If the Renegades are going to go out on a good note, Finch will most likely be a part of that endeavour.

Shaun Marsh: Like Finch, Marsh has the ability and just needs to find his form for one game.

Peter Hatzoglou: So far bowling superbly on any pitch offering some support for spinners, Hatzoglou will need to strike early and/or often.

Imad Wasim: The Pakistani import had a good game last time around, and needs to maximize his output for this one.

Hobart Hurricanes

Predicted XI 

Matthew Wade (c), Scott Boland, Nathan Ellis, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ben McDermott (wk), Riley Meredith, Peter Handscomb, D’Arcy Short, Dawid Malan, Will Jacks, Tim David.

Preview and form

It’s not every day that winning two matches potentially lands you a top 3 spot at the tail end of a league, but the Hurricanes aren’t complaining. With a win in their last match over the Sixers, they have come tantalizingly close to qualification, and just need 3 more points to confirm it. In that last match, Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short put up a fantastic 145-run opening stand, with the former getting 86 off 44 and and the latter ultimately scoring 72 off 52. Even though their scoring in the last 5 overs was pathetic considering the platform they had, they still managed to put a hefty 188 on the board. On the defense, their bowlers struck early, and all of the Sixers’ middle-order antics couldn’t save them. Scott Boland was the pick of the lot with figures of 4-0-23-2, followed by Sandeep Lamichhane with another 2 and Nathan Ellis with a more expensive 3. In the end, the Hurricanes won by a close 7 runs.

HH Key players

Matthew Wade: With a return like that, it’s impossible to keep Wade out of the equation.

Ben McDermott: Still a strong contender for the Orange Cap, McDermott will have to do better than he has in the last match or two.

Sandeep Lamichhane: The Nepali teenager seems to be coming into his own as of late, and taking wickets while he’s at it.

Scott Boland: Back in full flow, Boland will have to pull off another one of his fast-bowling masterclasses to push his team through.

MR vs HH weather conditions and pitch report

There’s most likely going to be a lot of rain in the morning, but things should hopefully dry down by the time the match begins. If it doesn’t, it’s bad news for the Hurricanes who need a result from this encounter. As for other factors, there will be a moderate breeze, cool temperatures, and quite a lot of humidity.

The MCG has been providing spinners with a lot of help, with fast bowlers also not too far behind. The batsmen will struggle, but not so much that they won’t be able to score at a moderate rate. Expect scores of 160 to be decent, with at least 150 being standard fare.

Can the Renegades say goodbye on a positive note while dashing the Hurricanes’ dreams? Or will the latter manage to crush the opposition and stake their claim on that coveted playoff spot? Find out if our Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes predictions come true on Tuesday!