Team news, key match-ups, TV and streaming information, weather forecast, odds, form rundown, umpire appointments, start times, venue and squad lists for the 19th game of BBL11
Melbourne Stars face Hobart Hurricanes in the 19th game of the 2021-22 Big Bash.
The game is set for Friday, December 24. The first ball will be bowled at 2.30pm local time (4.30am GMT).
The game will be held at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart.
Melbourne Stars have had a mixed start to BBL11, losing to Sydney Sixers on two occasions either side of back-to-back victories over Sydney Thunder.
The Stars, however, will be well rested having not played since December 15 while Glenn Maxwell made a welcome return to form in their previous two outings. The 33-year-old allrounder opened the tournament with knocks of 4 and 16 but has since posted 40 and 103 in his past two appearances. And with this match being the penultimate one on Andre Russell's contract, a resurgent Maxwell will be very important for the Stars.
Hobart Hurricanes, meanwhile, have won just one of their four matches to date, defeating Sydney Sixers by 44 runs (DLS) at the SCG to gain revenge for their 14-run defeat three days earlier. Since then, however, the Hurricanes have twice been on the receiving end of table-toppers Perth Scorchers, losing by 53 runs and 42 runs, respectively.
The Hurricanes are yet to win when batting second.
Glenn Maxwell [Darrian Traynor/Getty Images]
This match will likely be decided by the form of the big-hitters with Maxwell and Russell lining up for Melbourne Stars and Matthew Wade, Harry Brook Tim David the wrecking balls for the Hurricanes.
Both Maxwell and Wade have gone big in BBL11, the former smashing 103 runs off in 57 balls against the Sixers on December 15, the latter posting 93 off 46 against the same opponents.
In the middle order, Russell hit a match-winning 42 not out off 21 balls against Sydney Thunder and is striking the ball at 186.64. David and Brook, meanwhile, haven't quite hit their best form yet but with T20 strike rates of 152.65 and 147.43, respectively, they can't be far away from a demolition job.
With the ball, Joel Paris (injured), Tom Rogers and Nathan Ellis are the leading wicket-takers for the Hurricanes, taking five apiece, while David has conceded just 45 runs from his 7.2 overs.
For the Stars, new kid on the block Brody Couch has taken six wickets with his right-arm medium pace bowling. However, overall the Stars have been poor with the ball this season, conceding 160-plus runs in three of their four matches and failing to defend 177 against the Sixers in the their most recent outing, and will be without Adam Zampa on Friday.
Darren Close and Michael Graham-Smith are the men in the middle for this one.
Temperatures are forecasted to hover around 20 degrees Celsius in Hobart.
Hobart Hurricanes: Scott Boland, Harry Brook (Jordan Cox), Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Peter Handscomb, Caleb Jewell, Josh Kann, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Joel Paris, Wil Parker, Tom Rogers, D’Arcy Short, Jordan Thompson (Tom Lammonby), Matthew Wade, Mac Wright
Melbourne Stars: Qais Ahmad, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Elliott, Syed Faridoun, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchcliffe, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Tom O’Connell, Sam Rainbird, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa, Haris Rauf (from December 27), Andre Russell (five games from December 10), Ahmed Daniyal (from December 10)
Matthew Wade [Mark Kolbe/Getty Images]
Hobart Hurricanes: Matthew Wade, D'Arcy Short, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Harry Brook, Tim David, Jordan Thompson, Nathan Ellis, Tom Rogers, Wil Parker, Sandeep Lamichhane
Brisbane Heat: Marcus Stoinis, Joe Clarke, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Andre Russell, Beau Webster, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Qais Ahmad, Sam Rainbird, Brody Couch
Oddschecker have installed Melbourne Stars as the favourites for this match, offering odds of 3/4. Hobart Hurricanes are available at 6/5.
Melbourne Stars are the stronger of the two sides and if they can remove Wade early, they're in with a very good chance of picking up three, or possibly four, points.
Sky Sports have bought the rights for the competition through to 2025, and they will broadcast all 61 games in the UK.
Fox Sports and Seven Network both have television rights in Australia: subscription broadcaster Fox show every game, while free-to-air Seven will simulcast 45 matches.
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra will have ball-by-ball radio coverage of the tournament for UK listeners.
Where can I watch the competition elsewhere in the world?
North America: Willow
MENA: beIN Sports
Sub Saharan Africa: SuperSport
Indian Subcontinent: Sony
New Zealand: Sky Sport
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