BBL Finals race: Canes, Strikers desperate for wins

The Adelaide Strikers will be desperate to pull themselves away from a mid-table logjam and climb into a finals position when they host Sydney Thunder later today (4.05pm AEDT, Foxtel, Kayo), while the Hurricanes will look to topple the high-flying Sixers at the MCG in the second match of a cracking KFC BBL double-header (7.15pm AEDT, Seven, Foxtel, Kayo).

With the Heat winning on Saturday afternoon and the Stars losing in the late match, there remains seven teams jostling for five finals positions.

Here's a reminder of the BBL's five-team finals schedule and an updated club-by-club look at each team and what they can expect as the regular season reaches its climax.

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BBL|10 Finals Series

(venues tbc, all matches will be screen on Channel 7, Fox Cricket & Kayo)

Friday Jan 29: The Eliminator (Fourth v Fifth)

Saturday Jan 30: The Qualifier (First v Second)

Sunday Jan 31: The Knock-Out (Third v Winner of The Eliminator)

Thurs Feb 4: The Challenger (Loser of The Qualifier v Winner of The Knock-Out)

Sat Feb 6: The Final (Winner of The Qualifier v Winner of The Challenger)

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1st: Perth Scorchers (32 points)

Played: 13 | Won: 8 | Lost: 4 | NR: 1 | Bash Boost pts: 6 | NRR: 0.949

The run home: Jan 26 v Heat @ Adelaide Oval

The Scorchers are now guaranteed a top-three place which means, pending government restrictions/exemptions, they will host at least one finals match. If they beat the Heat on Tuesday, only the Sixers can prevent them from taking first place, while if they do lose, they cannot finish any lower than third.

2nd: Sydney Sixers (32 points)

Played: 12 | Won: 8 | Lost: 4 | BB points: 8 | NRR: 0.310

The run home: Today v Hurricanes @ MCG; Jan 26 v Stars @ MCG

The Sixers are sitting pretty alongside Scorchers on 32 points but with two games still to play. The equation for them is simple: win both, and first place is theirs. Even one win could be enough for top spot, which would give them hosting rights for the Qualifier final, but whether that can be played in Sydney will hinge on border closures and government travel restrictions. The Sixers welcomed back Moises Henriques last time out and still have Sean Abbott in reserve, but while Mitchell Starc has been cleared fit to return to action by Cricket Australia's medicos, he's yet to confirm he'll play in the BBL Finals.

3rd: Sydney Thunder (27 points)

Played: 12 | Won: 7 | Lost: 5 | BB pts: 6 | NRR: 1.041

The run home: Today v Strikers @ Adelaide Oval; Jan 25 v Strikers @ Adelaide Oval

The Thunder aren't guaranteed Finals cricket yet, but they are also well placed for a top-three spot and a potential home 'knockout' Final. With back-to-back clashes against Adelaide on consecutive days, they'll be chasing firstly three points today to secure a Finals spot, and beyond that, six points (ie two wins) could be enough for a top-two finish and a shot at charging straight into The Final should either the Scorchers or Sixers finish on their current tally of 32 points.

4th: Brisbane Heat (25 points)

Played: 13 | Won: 6 | Lost: 7 | BB pts: 7 | NRR: -0.334

The run home: Jan 26 v Perth Scorchers

The Heat pretty much saved their season against the Renegades on Saturday, taking all four points on offer to move into fourth spot. Theoretically, their current tally of 25 points could be enough to end the season in that position as well; for that to happen, they would need the Sixers and Thunder to win their remaining matches, which isn't out of the question. But as all teams say at this time of year, destiny is far better left in their own hands, and if the Heat can snap the red-hot Scorchers' three-match winning run and take a bonus point in the process, they would be well placed – though still not guaranteed – of reaching the elimination stages.

5th: Melbourne Stars (24 points)

Played: 13 | Won: 5 | Lost: 7 | NR: 1 | BB pts: 7 | NRR: 0.171

The run home: Jan 26 v Sixers @ MCG

Last year's finalists and the pre-tournament favourites are now relying on favours from other teams to reach the Finals. Like the Heat, their current tally of 24 points could be enough to see them sneak into the finals in fifth place, provided the Strikers and Hurricanes fail to take points from their remaining two matches. If one of those sides does win one match however, and the Stars beat the Sixers on Tuesday, a win to the Scorchers the same day would take the Heat out of the equation, leaving them to battle with the Thunder, Strikers and Hurricanes for the three remaining finals places.

6th: Adelaide Strikers (24 points)

Played: 12 | Won: 6 | Lost: 6 | BB pts: 6 | NRR: 0.159

The run home: Today v Thunder @ Adelaide Oval; Jan 25 v Thunder @ Adelaide Oval

With both remaining matches at Adelaide Oval against the Sydney Thunder, the Strikers have a favourable home draw and destiny is in their own hands. Maximum points would make pushing into the top two a possibility, but on the flipside, a failure to take any points would leave them out of the top five. Mathematically, two extremely narrow defeats to the Thunder and a Stars walloping at the hands of the Sixers might just be enough to leapfrog the Melbourne side on net run rate, however such a scenario would also require the Hurricanes to lose both their remaining fixtures, making it an extremely remote possibility which the Strikers won't be wanting to rely on.

7th: Hobart Hurricanes (23 points)

Played: 12 | Won: 6 | Lost: 6 | BB pts: 5 | NRR: -0.202

The run home: Today v Sixers @ MCG; Jan 26 v Renegades @ MCG

Seventh spot is a touch misleading for Hobart fans, whose team still has two matches to play. So congested is this BBL|10 ladder, even if the Hurricanes fail to grab a point against the Sixers today, they could still snatch a Finals spot with a win over the bottom-placed Renegades on Tuesday. That scenario would also require the Stars and Heat to lose their final matches – not unfeasible given they take on the high-flying Sixers and Scorchers respectively. Destiny is certainly in Hobart's hands however; seven points from their final two matches could push them into as high as third.

8th: Melbourne Renegades (13 points)

Played: 13 | Won: 3 | Lost: 10 | BB pts: 4 | NRR: -1.911

The run home: Jan 26 v Hurricanes @ MCG

The only team officially out of the BBL|10 Finals race, the Renegades' only motivation is pride, and to disrupt the finals chances of others. It's been a season to forget for Michael Klinger's men, but they could still upset Hobart at the MCG on the season's final day, which could have considerable ramifications on the finals race.