WBBL 2020 Final: Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder Dream11 Prediction: 3 players you could pick as captain or vice-captain for today's WBBL 2020 match
Melbourne Stars will lock horns with Sydney Thunder in the final of the 2020 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) tomorrow at the North Sydney Oval ground.
The summit clash of the sixth edition of the iconic tournament promises to be an exciting contest, as both the teams are evenly poised leading into this game.
While the Melbourne Stars played a near-perfect game in the WBBL semi-final against the Perth Scorchers, the Sydney Thunder edged past the Brisbane Heat in a nail-biting second semi-final.
The Melbourne Stars have a slight advantage heading into the 2020 WBBL final after registering a comfortable eight-wicket victory over the Sydney outfit in the league stage of the competition.
Three WBBL players one could pick as the captain or vice-captain of their Dream11 teams
With plenty of international stars on both sides set to step on to the field, let us have a look at three WBBL players one could pick as the captain or vice-captain of their Dream11 team.
#1 Meg Lanning (Melbourne Stars)
The captain of the Australian team, Meg Lanning has been in sublime form throughout the WBBL 2020 tournament. The right-handed batter is second in the list of leading run-scorers, with 458 runs in 13 matches at an average of 45.
Opening the batting for the Stars, Lanning has essayed the role of anchoring the innings and allowing the likes of Natalie Sciver and Annabel Sutherland to come out and play their natural games to perfection.
Enroute her knock of 22 runs in the semi-final, Lanning looked at her absolute best before she was undone by a magical delivery from Heather Graham.
Nevertheless, the 28-year-old, who has years of international experience and runs under her belt, will look to lead from the front in the final and help the Stars clinch their maiden WBBL title.
#2 Heather Knight (Sydney Thunder)
Heather Knight has been the leading run-scorer for the Syndey Thunder in this edition of the WBBL, with 403 runs in 14 games. The England skipper, along with Rachael Haynes, has been a mainstay in the Thunder batting unit.
The duo, who has immense international experience, has shouldered the responsibility of guiding a young middle order.
Knight, the right-handed batter, came in to bat at number three in the semi-final against the Heat and scored 17 off 22 balls. Despite a below-par performance in that game, Knight has the ability to perform in crunch games, and the Thunder will count on that and hope for a match-winning performance from their premier batter.
#3 Natalie Sciver (Melbourne Stars)
Natalie Scriver, the allrounder from England, has been one of the most improved players in the past few years. Her exploits with the ball and hard-hitting ability down the order yielded massive dividends for England in the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 and in the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
The right-handed medium pacer is currently the highest wicket-taker in WBBL 2020, with 19 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate under seven runs per over. Fresh off her unbeaten 47-run innings in the semi-final win against the Scorchers, Sciver will be keen to put on a similar performance and guide the Stars to their first WBBL title.
Sciver grabbed a lot of attention the last time the Thunder and Stars met in the league stage of the WBBL: she plucked out a one-handed blinder to dismiss Tammy Beaumont. That special piece of fielding effort from Sciver is surely a contention for the catch of the WBBL 2020 season.
The all-round abilities of the 28-year-old combined with her athleticism on the field make her one of the favourites to be picked in Dream11 sides.