STA vs SCO prediction: Who will win today's Big Bash League 2021-22 match?
The Melbourne Stars will take on the Perth Scorchers in the 31st match of the Big Bash League 2021 at Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Scorchers, led by Ashton Turner, haven’t done much wrong in the ongoing edition of the T20 tournament. Placed second in the table with 21 points from seven matches, the team has looked clinical. In their previous game on December 28, the Sydney Thunder beat them by 34 runs.
After electing to field first, the Scorchers faltered as the Thunder racked up a humongous score of 200 for seven on the board. Matthew Kelly picked up three wickets and conceded only 30 runs off his four overs. Mitchell Marsh accounted for two scalps in his quota.
The Scorchers showed sparks of brilliance in their run-chase but were always behind the eight-ball. Colin Munro stayed unbeaten on 64 off 43 but failed to take his team over the finish line. Andre Tye smashed a quickfire 25-ball 44 in the death overs to mitigate the damage to some extent.
The Stars, led by Glenn Maxwell, have a long way to go as they are placed sixth in the table with an abysmal net run rate of -1.114. But a 20-run win over the Brisbane Heat in their previous game at The Gabba should give them a whole lot of confidence going forward.
After being sent in to bat, the Stars scored 207 for nine on the board. Joe Clarke’s 85 and Hilton Cartwright’s 79 led the charge for them after they lost Marcus Stoinis, Joe Burns, and Maxwell in quick succession. Clarke and Cartwright’s 151-run stand helped them recover to a large extent.
The Stars’ bowlers seemed a tad off color as the Heat finished with 187 for nine in 20 overs. Chris Lynn and Ben Duckett scored 57 and 54 respectively to keep the Heat in the game, but their efforts went in vain. Brody Couch and Qais Ahmad got three wickets apiece for the Stars.
Can the Stars beat the Scorchers?
Although the Scorchers lost their previous game, they look the stronger of the two units. The Stars need to work on their bowling and top-order batting. The Scorchers did lose their previous match but are firm favorites for this one due to their all-round brilliance. They should be able to register another win.
Prediction: Perth Scorchers to win this game.