BBL 2019-20, Match 3: Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Toss Update

Melbourne Renegades won the toss and elected to bat first

Sydney Thunder Playing XI:

Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson(c), Matthew Gilkes(w), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Arjun Nair, Nathan McAndrew, Jonathan Cook, Chris Tremain

Melbourne Renegades Playing XI:

Aaron Finch(c), Sam Harper(w), Shaun Marsh, Beau Webster, Tom Cooper, Daniel Christian, Jack Wildermuth, Cameron Boyce, Kane Richardson, Richard Gleeson, Harry Gurney

Match Details:

The 3rd match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2019-20 will be played between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder at the Simonds Stadium in Geelong.

The match starts at 7:10 PM local time (1:40 PM IST) (8:10 AM GMT). This game can be viewed on Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live streaming will be available on Sony LIV.

Preview

The defending champions Melbourne Renegades will get their campaign underway on Thursday against the high-flying Sydney Thunder. The Thunder led by Callum Ferguson put their best foot forward in the opening game of the BBL to stun the star-studded Brisbane Heat. Despite losing quick wickets upfront, they managed to post 172 runs on the board and their bowlers then did the job restricting the Heat batsmen.

The Renegades, on the other hand, have their skipper Aaron Finch for the first three weeks it seems and they will be hoping to their start their title defence on a good note. They have signed Shaun Marsh this season who is one of the best batsmen in the BBL over the years. The likes of Harry Gurney and Kane Richardson also make their bowling attack look good.

Weather Condition/Report

It is a perfect day in Geelong for the game of cricket to take place. There is no chance of rain whatsoever throughout the day. Though it will cloudy for some time in the evening when the match will get underway. The temperature is expected to hover around 16-19 Degrees Celsius according to AccuWeather.

Pitch Report

Only a solitary T20I has been played at the Simonds Stadium so far which took place in 2017 between Australia and Sri Lanka. It was a high-scoring affair with the visitors successfully chasing down 174. There is no idea about how this pitch will behave though which might lead to the team winning the toss to bowl first.

Average first innings score: 173 (Only T20I played at the venue)

Record of the chasing teams: Won – 1; Lost – 0

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be shared when there’s an update)

Probable Playing XIs

Melbourne Renegades

Aaron Finch (C), Shaun Marsh, Sam Harper (WK), Tom Cooper, Dan Christian, Alex Doolan, Cameron Boyce, Richard Gleeson, Jack Wildermuth, Kane Richardson, Harry Gurney.

Bench – Beau Webster, Will Sutherland.

Sydney Thunder

Usman Khawaja, Alex Hales, Callum Ferguson (C), Matthew Gilkes (WK), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Arjun Nair, Nathan McAndrew, Jonathan Cook, Chris Tremain.

Bench – Jay Lenton, Liam Hatcher

Top Picks

Sam Harper is an exciting cricketer for the Renegades at the top of the order. Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh will also be crucial and have the ability to get going from the word go. Richardson is expensive generally but tends to pick wickets at the death which makes him another top pick.

For the Thunder, Ferguson is in great form after scoring 70-odd runs in the BBL season opener while Khawaja also is expected to make amends for his failure in the previous game. Chris Green and Jonathan Cook both will be a handful if the pitch on offer is slow.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options – Callum Ferguson, Aaron Finch

Vice-Captain Options – Sam Harper, Alex Hales

Suggested playing XI no.1 for fantasy cricket:

Keeper – Matthew Gilkes, Sam Harper

Batsmen – Callum Ferguson (VC), Aaron Finch (C), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh

All-Rounders – Daniel Sams, Daniel Christian

Bowlers – Chris Green, Jonathan Cook, Kane Richardson

Suggested playing XI no.2 for fantasy cricket:

Keeper – Sam Harper (VC)

Batsmen – Callum Ferguson, Alex Hales (C), Aaron Finch, Tom Cooper

All-Rounders – Daniel Sams, Daniel Christian

Bowlers – Chris Tremain, Chris Green, Kane Richardson, Harry Gurney

Expert Advice

Alex Hales is the least expected to score big. He has been struggling with the bat for long now. Take risk and make him captain in Grand League.

Probable Winners

Melbourne Renegades are expected to win the match.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.