Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder Prediction: Teams are bottom of table

Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder are going head to head in the 12th Match of Big Bash League at Lavington Sports Ground, Australia on 23 Dec 2023. The teams are at the bottom of the table in the early stages of the tournament. Who will win this game of cricket?

The Melbourne Stars have had a disappointing start to their season, losing both matches by large margins and currently holding the last position on the table with a significantly poor net run rate. Despite having talented batsmen on their team, the Stars have struggled to put up a strong batting performance, failing to surpass 115 runs in any match thus far. Hilton Cartwright has been the top scorer for the team, accumulating 57 runs, and will play a crucial role in the middle order. Thomas Rogers and Sam Harper are likely to be the opening batsmen in the upcoming match, aiming to provide a solid start for their team. Other notable batsmen in the lineup include Nick Larkin, Beau Webster, and Liam Dawson. However, the bowling department has also been underwhelming, with Joel Paris taking one wicket in each game but conceding more than 10 runs per over. Haris Rauf and Marcus Stoinis will accompany Paris in leading the pace attack, while Usama Mir will contribute as the team's specialist spinner.

Sam Harper (wk), Thomas Rogers, Beau Webster, Marcus Stoinis (c), Hilton Cartwright, Nick Larkin, Jonathan Merlo, Liam Dawson, Usama Mir, Joel Paris, Haris Rauf

Similar to their rivals, the Sydney Thunder have also suffered defeats in both of their matches and currently occupy a position in the bottom three. In their most recent match against the Adelaide Strikers, despite the loss, there were some positive aspects that the team can take away. Cameron Bancroft showed excellent form at the top of the batting order, scoring an impressive 74 runs. Alongside him, Alex Hales is yet to fully showcase his potential.

Oliver Davies, Alex Ross, and Nathan McAndrew have all shown promise with some strong starts, but they will need to convert these into significant scores. On the bowling front, Tanveer Sangha has been outstanding, leading the team with 4 wickets. Additionally, he has maintained an economical economy rate during his spells. Chris Green provides support in the spin department, while Zaman Khan, Daniel Sams, and Liam Hatcher have collectively secured 5 wickets through their seam bowling.

Overall, the Sydney Thunder will look to improve their performances and capitalize on their players' individual strengths in order to turn their fortunes around in future matches.

Cameron Bancroft, Alex Hales, Jason Sangha, Oliver Davies, Matthew Gilkes (wk), Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Chris Green (c), Liam Hatcher, Zaman Khan, Tanveer Sangha

The team that wins the coin toss will most likely choose to bowl first. This will be only the second BBL match played at the Lavington Oval, so not much is known about the pitch. In the previous match there were high scores, with close to 400 runs being made. The pitch has good pace and bounce, and the ball comes nicely onto the bat. The team batting first will aim to score around 200 runs to give the bowlers a good chance of defending. However, the pitch does slow down in the second innings. The weather is predicted to be overcast with some light rain, which could cause interruptions. Both teams have recently suffered consecutive losses and will be eager to gain some points. We believe that the Sydney Thunder have a slight advantage in this match. Their batting has been stronger compared to the Stars, which will be advantageous on a good batting surface. Our recommendation is to bet on the Sydney Thunder to win.