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Sydney Sixers take on Perth Scorchers in the 2021-22 Big Bash.
The game is set for Sunday, January 9. The first ball will be bowled at 7.15pm local time (8.15am GMT).
The game will be held at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium at Coffs Harbour.
Two of the league's top three teams meet in this one, but both have proved fallible in recent days.
While Perth Scorchers sit top of tree, with 29 points and eight wins from their 10 matches to date, they have lost two of their last four, including their most recent outing against Sydney Thunder.
Defending champions Sydney Sixers, meanwhile, are third in the standings. They too lost their most recent match, though that was against the Scorchers on January 4. In that fixture, Scorchers successfully defended a modest 143 for 8.
James Vince has returned to the UK (Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Sydney Sixers will have big boots to fill, with James Vince and Steve O'Keefe absent.
Vince has returned to the UK to prepare for England's T20 tour of the Caribbean, while O'Keefe has a hand injury and misses out.
Of all bowlers to have bowled 100 or more balls in this year's competition, O'Keefe's economy rate of 6.16 is bettered only by two others - Mujeeb ur Rahman of Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder's Gurinder Sandhu.
That discipline will be missed by Sixers, who need to contain a Perth batting lineup which includes the competition's second leading run-scorer, Colin Munro, and one of the top Aussie T20 players of 2021, Mitchell Marsh.
Shadab Khan, the Pakistani legspinner who was absent from recent Sixers matches on the Gold Coast for borders reasons, will have a big part to play.
Sixers have named a squad which includes Lawrence Neil-Smith, Todd Murphy and Nick Winter who are yet to debut for the club.
Justin Avendano comes into the squad as an injury replacement for O'Keefe.
A limited chance of rain, while temperatures should hover around 22 degrees Celsius come the start of play.
Sydney Sixers: Sean Abbott, Justin Avendano, Jackson Bird, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Shadab Khan, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Nick Winter
Perth Scorchers: TBC
Perth Scorchers lead the way in the Big Bash (Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Sydney Sixers: Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, Jordan Silk, Sean Abbott, Shadab Khan, Hayden Kerr, Ben Dwarshuis, Jackson Birdd
Perth Scorchers: To follow
Perth Scorchers are fancied to take this one by the bookies, and why not, given they sit pretty top of the table. Most outlets have the Scorchers priced at 8/11. The Sixers are available at a best-price 6/5 from William Hill.
The departures of Vince and O'Keefe are a blow to Sixers, and Scorchers should have too much.
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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