The second match of BBL05 features last years losing semi finalists. The Adelaide Strikers, minor premiers in BBL04, clash with the Melbourne Stars with both teams looking to go at least one step further in this years competition.
The two teams met in game 1 of BBL04, also in Adelaide, with Adelaide giving the Stars an absolute caning by 8 wickets with almost 8 overs to spare! Despite this result the Stars dominate the head-to-heads over the last five years with a 3-1 winning record.
Cricmetric’s win probability model has the Melbourne Stars as favourites to extend their winning record over the Strikers with a win probability of 59%. No doubt that the Strikers have other plans in mind, and would dearly like to make Adam Zampa, the ex-Striker and now Star, regret his move to Melbourne for BBL05.
Adelaide Strikers Team News
The Adelaide Strikers were the dominant batting team in BBL04. They led all teams in terms of runs per inning (161.3), balls per four (9.1 balls), balls per six (19.5 balls) and runs per non-dot ball faced (1.9 runs). The driving force behind these results were Travis Head and Tim Ludeman, both of whom are back with the Strikers for BBL05. Head and Ludeman scored an amazing 40% of the Strikers runs in BBL04 facing just 27% of deliveries bowled to the team. With Hodge, Dean and Simmons also returning for BBL05, the Strikers batting remains one of the most potent in the competition, even without the services of Pollard this year.
The Strikers were steady if not spectacular with the ball in BBL04. Their overall economy rate of 7.3 runs conceded per over was the 3rd best in the league. While they were the 3rd worst team in terms of dot balls bowled per over, they conceded the 3rd lowest amount of runs per non-dot ball bowled, suggesting that they set the right fields for each bowler/batsman match up.
Key bowling losses in the off season however may be a concern for the Strikers. Zampa, Botha and Tait had economy rates of 6.5, 6.8 and 6.7 runs per over respectively in BBL04 and are not with the squad in BBL05. Together these three bowled 48% of the balls bowled by the Strikers in BBL04. Holland and Neser are the two main additions with the ball. While Holland has the impressive economy rate of 6.2 runs per over, Neser goes at over 8 an over. The Strikers will be hoping their remaining spearheads – Laughlin and Richardson – are able to improve on their career strike rates to keep the opposition batsmen at bay.
Melbourne Stars Team News
Despite finishing third in BBL04, the Melbourne Stars did not shine with the bat. Their average score of 148.4 and balls faced per boundary (7.9) were both second worst in the league, with only their cross town neighbours, the Melbourne Renegades, keeping them from the bottom. Their two highest run scores in BBL04 – Chris White and KP – were also the worst offenders in terms of strike rates. Together they faced 41% of balls bowled to the team striking at the rate of 113 runs per 100 balls faced, or 135 runs per 20 overs. While KP is back this year, Chris White, who scored at less than a run a ball in BBL04, is not. His place will be taken by Stoinis who strikes at 155 runs per 20 overs faced in his BBL career.
Like the Strikers, the Melbourne Stars were middle of the field with the ball in BBL04. They finished 4th out of the 8 teams in terms of economy rate, balls bowled per boundary and dot balls per over. The Stars big signing for BBL05 with the ball is the young leg spinner, Zampa. Zampa had a breakout season with the ball in BBL05 conceding just 6.5 runs per over and less than 2 boundaries per four over spell. The Stars will be hoping Zampa will pair well with Beer to keep the opposition batsmen in check.
The Stars finished 3rd on the ladder in BBL04 despite some of their big names having average seasons by their standards. Playing to their potential will be a key theme in BBL05.
Key Match Ups
- Thanks to his break out season in BBL04, Ludeman has an above average record against all the Stars bowlers except Gulbis and Zampa. Ludeman has faced 66 balls in his T20 career from the Stars bowling line up for a strike rate of 189 runs per 20 overs faced
- Gulbis and Zampa are the only two Stars bowlers to have positive records against the Strikers batsmen
- Laughlin and Richardson combined have bowled 125 deliveries to the Stars batsmen in BBL. Both bowlers perform well above average against the Stars batsmen
- While Wright, Hussey, Maxwell and Pietersen have above average records overall against the Strikers bowlers, each of them performs below average against either Laughlin or Richardson
- Strikers batsmen score at 145 runs per 20 overs off left arm bowlers and 168 runs per 20 overs off right arm bowlers. The Stars have two left arm bowlers in their line up – Faulkner and Beer
- Stars batsmen score at 159 runs per 20 overs off left arm bowlers and 171 runs per 20 overs off right arm bowlers