There is a double-header from the Big Bash on Saturday, and Richard Mann has three bets to consider in his staking plan.
Cricket tips: Big Bash
1pt Both teams to score 180+ runs Adelaide Strikers/Melbourne Renegades match at 10/3 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)
1pt Both teams to score 190+ runs Adelaide Strikers/Melbourne Renegades match at 13/2 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)
2pts Marcus Stoinis over 42.5 player performance points at 5/6 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)
Saturday in the Big Bash starts with a little bit of a conundrum for punters when Adelaide Strikers host Melbourne Renegades at 06:00.
These are two poor outfits, and the Strikers were bowled out for just 83 at the MCG earlier in the week, while the Renegades were never really in the hunt batting second against Perth Scorchers on Thursday.
However, this broken record has been banging the drum all season about how good the Adelaide pitch is for batting, and that came to fruition last Sunday as the Strikers managed to make 200 against the Scorchers, that having conceded 232 in the first innings.
A generally true surface, batsmen find it easy to hit through the line here, while the rapid outfield and short square boundaries mean any width is severely punished.
With Alex Carey, who made 71 against the Scorchers, back in the home ranks alongside Matt Short and Chris Lynn, the Strikers batting does have potential, for all that top order needs to do the heavy lifting, given the middle order looks incapable of doing so.
Runs for Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk in the week is good news for the Renegades batting unit as they bid to finish their own disappointing campaign on a high, with Josh Brown’s 305 runs at an average of 33.88 very much a lone hand this term.
Clearly, we can't have total faith in either batting outfit, but there should be no excuses in terms of conditions, and to that end, neither bowling attack would keep you awake at night.
Let’s have one last swing on the BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE markets, then, with those 180 and 190 lines making appeal at 10/3 and 13/2.
Stoinis can Star in Perth
At 09:15, Melbourne Stars travel to take on Perth Scorchers in a match between two strong sides.
The last two fixtures in Perth were played on the same dreadful pitch, so expect more runs on Saturday with a different strip surely in the offing.
Perth will start as favourites, and few would want to get into a bar fight with this powerful and destructive batting line-up.
The bowling, however, doesn’t look anywhere near as reliable, badly missing injured pair Lance Morris and Ashton Agar.
Don’t discount the visitors here, and key to their chances will again be captain MARCUS STOINIS who looks an OVERS play on 42.5 PLAYER PERFORMANCE POINTS.
Stoinis is in the midst of a fine campaign, one which has seen him score 209 runs an at average of 69.99, and claim 14 wickets from nine matches with the ball.
Crucially, Stoinis has cleared his current player performance line in eight of those nine games, getting through plenty of overs and often delivering the key ones, too.
Having recovered from a minor injury scare following a blow to the hand while batting against Melbourne Renegades in the week, Stoinis looks set to shine once again.
Posted at 15:05 GMT on 16/01/26
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