Team news, key match-ups, TV and streaming information, weather forecast, odds, form rundown, umpire appointments, start times, venue and squad lists for the 17th game of BBL11
Melbourne Renegades face Perth Scorchers in the 17th game of the 2021-22 Big Bash.
The game is set for Wednesday, December 22. The first ball will be bowled at 7.15pm local time (8.15am GMT).
The game will be held at Marvel Stadium.
It's top against bottom in the Big Bash League as Perth Scorchers take on Melbourne Renegades.
The Scorchers have a 100 per cent record after four games, collecting four victories (and two bonus points).
They kicked off with wins over Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers, before comfortable back-to-back triumphes over Hobart Hurricanes.
Kurtis Patterson hit 78 from 48 deliveries as they put on 167 for 7 as they batted first for the fourth time.
Andrew Tye led the way in the chase with 3 for 19 as Scorchers ran out comfortable winners by 42 runs.
Renegades look set for another troubled campaign - they finished bottom in the last two campaigns - and already sit at the foot of the BBL table.
Things looked rosy when they beat Adelaide Strikers in a nail-biter in the opening round.
But after the Strikers exacted revenge in the rematch, they became Brisbane Heat's open victims of the campaign in a five-wicket defeat.
Aaron Finch is back in the picture (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Finch's return to the Renegades top order is a moment they'll hope can help turn the campaign around. No longer the captain after passing over the leadership to Nic Maddinson, he is over a knee injury that threatened his T20 World Cup involvement.
Improving on recent contributions in the competition - he scored just 179 runs in 13 innings last term - will be expected and it'll be hoped his break from the sport can make a difference.
"It's been a little while but I'm excited to get back out there," he said.
"It's been a real down period which has been nice actually to mentally and physically refresh.
"I literally didn't pick up a bat since the World Cup final until a couple of days ago."
It'll be fascinating to see which of the Scorchers' new-ball options will be pitted against Finch. His primary weakness is against right-arm pace, which is likely to see Andrew Tye, rather than lefties Jason Behrendorff and Tymal Mills, deployed from the outset.
Tye is top of the wicket-taking list after four games, taking 10 scalps at an economy rate of 7.35.
His three wickets against Hurricanes meant he became the first player to take 100 wickets for the same BBL franchise as Scorchers defended 167 at Blundstone Arena.
Donovan Koch and Ben Treloar are the men in the middle for this one.
It'll be an overcast evening in Melbourne, with temperatures around 16 degrees Celsius. There is minimal threat of rain, however, with forecasters predicting a two per cent chance.
Melbourne Renegades: Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Boyce, Zak Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Shaun Marsh, Mohammad Nabi, James Pattinson, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Mitch Perry, Beau Webster, Imran Tahir, Noor Ahmad, Josh Lalor, Jack Prestwidge, Rilee Rossouw, Imad Wasim, Benny Howell, Brody Couch, Peter Hatzoglou
Perth Scorchers: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Fawad Ahmed, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Joe Clarke (replacement), Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Liam Livingstone, Colin Munro, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Jhye Richardson, Jason Roy, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, Colin Munro
Andrew Tye (Steve Bell/Getty Images)
Melbourne Renegades: Aaron Finch, Mackenzie Harvey, Nic Maddinson, Mohammad Nabi, James Seymour, Jake Fraser-McGurk, James Pattinson, Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson, Reece Topley, Zahir Khan
Perth Scorchers: Kurtis Patterson, Colin Munro, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Ashton Turner, Laurie Evans, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Hatzoglou, Tymal Mills
Perth Scorchers are 8/13 favourites with a handful of bookies to make it five wins out of five. Melbourne Renegades can be backed at 11/8.
Despite the return of Finch, Scorchers have been imperious in the competition thus far and should have too much once again.
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
BIG BASH TEAM GUIDES (open in external window in app)
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