THU v REN Prediction: Who will win the BBL match?
The Sydney Thunder will be aiming to build on their back-to-back wins as they go up against the Melbourne Renegades as part of BBL's Boxing Day double header.
The two teams have had a contrasting start to the 2020/21 BBL. The Sydney Thunder began their BBL season with a defeat, but have followed it up with two wins. While the Melbourne Renegades started with a win, but have suffered two straight losses in their BBL campaign. Both teams find themselves in the bottom half of the table, but the Thunder could potentially go top tomorrow with a big win over the Renegades.
The tournament so far has been a bit of a mixed bag for the Renegades. They began with an impressive win over the Scorchers, but were then skittled out for 60 before letting a good position slip against the Hurricanes.
The return of captain Aaron Finch can't come quick enough for the Renegades, and the good news for them is that he has made himself available for the game against the Thunder. Finch is one of the few world-class players in the shortest format of the game. And if he is in form, the Thunder can kiss their chances of winning goodbye.
The Sydney Thunder have batting issues of their own. Usman Khawaja and Alex Hales have failed to get going so far in the tournament. Had it not been for Callum Ferguson and the highly rated Oliver Davies, they would have lost to the Scorchers on Tuesday. Their bowling attack, on the other hand, was boosted by the arrival of Adam Milne. The New Zealand pacer looked menacing on his BBL debut. And he will be keen to make an impact once again.
BBL 2020-21 Match 14, Thunder vs Renegades: Match Prediction
The Sydney Thunder go into this game with momentum on their side. But as we have so often seen, momentum can shift in the space of one delivery in T20 cricket.
That being said, the Renegades seem to be very disjointed at the moment. And things haven't clicked for them just yet. There seem to be holes in nearly every department. But a few of those holes will be plugged by the return of Aaron Finch. All-rounder Imad Wasim could also feature, having arrived in Australia after Pakistan's T20I series against New Zealand. He will no doubt bolster their bowling attack, along with Mohammad Nabi.
The Thunder are slight favourites going into the BBL game, but they are by no means a balanced team. Their issues at the top of the order and with the ball were visible even during their last two wins. And the Renegades could certainly exploit them on Saturday.
The result will depend on which Renegades team turns up. If their big names perform at the level we know they are capable of producing, they will fancy their chances of getting back to winning ways in the BBL..