GameDay Squad AUS Cricket Round 28 Preview: The Brisbane Heat take on the Perth Scorchers in the 32nd match of BBL13 in Brisbane at the GABBA on Wednesday the 10th of January.
Here's everything you need to know ....
Predicted Teams
Brisbane Heat: 1. Usman Khawaja, 2. Colin Munro, 3. Nathan McSweeney / Matt Renshaw, 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Sam Billings, 6. Paul Walter, 7. Xavier Bartlett, 8. Michael Neser, 9. Spencer Johnson, 10. Mitchell Swepson, 11. Matthew Kuhnemann
Perth Scorchers: 1. Zak Crawley, 2. Sam Whiteman, 3. Aaron Hardie, 4. Josh Inglis, 5. Laurie Evans, 6. Cooper Connolly, 7. Ashton Agar, 8. Jhye Richardson, 9. Andrew Tye, 10. Lance Morris, 11. Jason Behrendorff
Start Vs Sit
Batters - Zak Crawley vs Laurie Evans
With Crawley averaging 37 points and Evans averaging 35 points, who to start between these two players is a coin flip. I like the look of Evans in this match and this is because the Heat bowlers have been very good at dismissing opposing openers cheaply. Openers against the Heat are averaging 15 runs with only five out of twelve making it to double digits. I think Evans might not be on a lot of coaches' radars for this match and I really like the upside he offers.
Start: Laurie Evans
All-Rounder - Marnus Labuschagne vs Michael Neser
Labuschagne has been given the green light to play for the Heat in this top of the table clash against the Scorchers. In my opinion, this means either McSweeney or Renshaw will make way for him. Labuschagne has only played the one match this season in the BBL and he scored 30 runs from 23 balls for an AUS Cricket score of 36 points.
I'm still not sure what to make of Neser's performances. He's bowling an average of two overs a match and has taken four wickets. His average of 37 points is being propped up by the 12 points he averages through fielding stats. He is one of only three players that averages 10+ points through fielding stats. I'm not taking anything away from his fielding efforts but I believe the points he receives through fielding are due to decrease. As points through fielding are unpredictable and with Neser not bowling many overs, I'll likely be starting Labuschagne in this match.
Start: Marnus Labuschagne
Bowler - Jason Behrendorff vs Andrew Tye
Behrendorff started this season with a hiss and a roar but hasn't really performed in the last few matches. He averages 52 points on the season but over his last three matches, he has only averaged 23 points. Tye has been a bit more consistent and averages 39 points for the season. He has outscored Behrendorff in three of the five matches that they have both played in. I'm still undecided on who I'm going to start but I'm leaning towards Behrendorff. Behrendorff has shown this season that he has a higher ceiling and this is what we like to see as fantasy coaches. The main reason why I lean towards Behrendorff is because of his performances away from Perth. This season he averages 48 points compared to Tye's average of 22 points in away matches. Last season Behrendorff averaged 53 points and Tye averaged 40 points in away matches.
Start: Jason Behrendorff
Matchup Matrix
Key Takeaways:
Opening and middle order batsmen have struggled to score against the Heat
Both pace and spin bowlers have struggled to score against the Scorchers
Opening batsmen have had success against the Scorchers
Ground Matrix
Key Takeaways:
Spin bowlers have struggled to score when bowling in the first innings
Opening batsmen have struggled to score in the second innings
Middle order batsmen have scored well here
Hot Take
Morris will bounce back from his poor performance in his last match and take 3+ wickets.
Who to play in your GDS starting XI
BAT - Colin Munro
BAT - Usman Khawaja
BAT - Laurie Evans
ALL - Aaron Hardie
ALL - Paul Walter
ALL - Nathan McSweeney / Matt Renshaw
ALL - Marnus Labuschagne
WK - Josh Inglis
BWL - Xavier Bartlett
BWL - Lance Morris
BWL - Jason Behrendorff