Perth Scorchers will face Sydney Thunder in their 8th match of the BBL 2020-21 at the Perth Stadium on Saturday. Both teams are coming off wins; the Scorchers have won the last three matches and look in great touch whereas the Thunder have claimed six wins from their eight matches. Perth Scorchers have won their last match against Sydney Sixers by 86 runs and Sydney Thunder beat Hobart Hurricanes by 39 runs in their respective last fixtures. With a bonus point, the Scorchers can move to 4th place on the table. However, this match against the table-toppers will not be an easy one for the home side.
Team news
The overseas recruits of Perth Scorchers, Jason Roy and Colin Munro look in good shape and showed their calibre last time out. Munro scored a fantastic 50 as Roy contributed with 27 at the top. Mitchell Marsh is back from injury and showing his value already. He delivered a match-winning performance with 57* and a wicket to his name. The Scorchers can count on him. On the other hand, Jhye Richardson looks in brilliant form with a 3-wicket scalp in the last match along with Andrew Tye who picked up four wickets to help the Scorchers seal a comfortable win.
Sydney Thunder batting strength lies in their top order. Usman Khawaja (49) and Alex Hales (21) once again proved it in the last encounter against the Hurricanes. Despite a failed performance from Callum Ferguson, the captain’s form in this tournament cannot be questioned, thanks to his good run so far. Daniel Sams will be out for the second match in a row but Ben Cutting is an effective substitute. Tanveer Sangha from Sydney Thunder is leading the BBL wickets chart with 15 wickets. Chris Green who took two wickets in the last outing is another good option for the side, especially in the power-play overs.
Probable XIs
Perth Scorchers: Liam Livingstone, Jason Roy, Colin Munro, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner, Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Andrew Tye, Fawad Ahmed.
Sydney Thunder: Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, Sam Billings, Alex Ross, Arjun Nair, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Adam Milne, Nathan McAndrew, Tanveer Sangha.
Key players
Mitchell Marsh (Perth Scorchers)- Mitchell Marsh has already scored 172 runs with two fifties and a strike rate of 143.33. He has bowled with great control so far and maintained an economy of 5.12 to scalp three wickets. The all-rounder can be a gamechanger in both departments in crucial games.
Tanveer Sangha (Sydney Thunder)- Tanveer Sangha is a young leg-spinner who keeps picking wickets for Sydney Thunder at regular intervals. Last time he has had a 4-wicket haul and no wonder, Sangha with 13 wickets at an average of 13.73 and economy of 7.22 will be under focus.