Your ultimate guide for the first match of the KFC BBL|13 Boxing Day double-header as the Sixers host the Stars
All you need to know: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
Match facts
Who: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars
What: Match 14, BBL|13
Where: SCG, Sydney
When: Tuesday, December 26. Bat flip at 5.20pm AEDT, first ball at 6.05pm AEDT
How to watch: Channel Seven, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Buy tickets: Tickets are on sale here
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live and Big Bash apps
Officials: Paul Wilson (field), Gerard Abood (field), Clare Polosak (third), Sharad Patel (fourth), Bob Stratford (match referee)
Match squads
Sixers: Moises Henriques (c), Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Ryan Hadley, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Izharulhaq Naveed (Afghanistan), Stephen O'Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, James Vince (England)
Stars: Glenn Maxwell (c), Hilton Cartwright, Sam Harper, Nick Larkin, Jono Merlo, Usama Mir (Pakistan), Joel Paris, Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Imad Wasim (Pakistan), Beau Webster
Form guide
Sixers: WWWLL (most recent first)
The Sixers have put the disappointment of a straight-sets finals exit last season behind them with three straight wins to start the season. Boast a phenomenal amount of experience that has helped them sneak home against the Renegades, Hurricanes and Strikers in three final-over finishes.
Stars: LLLLL
Have now lost their 10 of their past 11 games including their last seven on the bounce. Their last win was December 31, 2022, and after losing their first three this season, time is running out for the Stars to stay relevant in BBL|13.
KFC BBL|13 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
HEA
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.972 | 0 | 16 |
|
2
SIX
|
10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.339 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
SCO
|
10 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.725 | 0 | 13 |
|
4
STR
|
10 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.331 | 0 | 11 |
|
5
HUR
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.268 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
STA
|
10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -1.051 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
REN
|
10 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | -0.288 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
THU
|
10 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | -0.652 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
Players to watch
Jordan Silk proved why he is one of the most reliable performers in the competition with an unbeaten 45-ball 66 to power the Sixers to a defendable total in their final-ball victory over the Strikers on December 22. Silk is the Sixers' leading run-scorer so far this season with 115 striking at 147 in his three innings. The club's second most prolific batter of all-time behind Moises Henriques appears set for another strong BBL campaign.
The Sixers will be without Englishman Tom Curran until January 3 at the earliest after his four-game ban for intimidating an umpire was upheld by Cricket Australia, with the club's appeal against the sanction dismissed.
Beau Webster continued his sensational start to the domestic summer for Tasmania by becoming the first player to score 50 runs and take four wickets in a BBL match in the Stars' loss to the Thunder in Albury. Webster's 59 was the Stars first half-century of the season, and they'll need contributions from the rest of their batting line-up if they're to break a nine-game losing streak against the Sixers.
Pakistan allrounder Imad Wasim has been added to the Stars squad for the first time this season, replacing Englishman Liam Dawson who has returned home after completing his three-game stint with the club. Imad will be available for the rest of the tournament.
Head-to-head
Overall: Sixers (13 wins), Stars (7 wins)
At the SCG: Sixers (6 wins), Stars (3 wins)
Most runs: Glenn Maxwell (676), Moises Henriques (478), Marcus Stoinis (335), Josh Philippe (334), Jordan Silk (316)
Most wickets: Ben Dwarshuis (18), Sean Abbott (17), Steve O'Keefe (17), Adam Zampa (13), Glenn Maxwell (11)
The venue
Rapid stats
- Sydney Sixers are on a nine-game winning streak over the Melbourne Stars, their longest winning run against any team in the history of the competition. The Stars last beat the Sixers in January 2019.
- Melbourne Stars average 54 more runs batting first (175.6) compared to batting second (121.4) against the Sixers. In fact, their lowest ever BBL total came against the Sixers when they were bowled out for 61 in the BBL|11 season opener in December 2021.
- Melbourne Stars have lost their last seven BBL matches and an eighth consecutive defeat in this game would equal their longest losing run in the history of the competition from January 2017 to January 2018.
- Melbourne Stars have a catch success rate of 77 per cent (10 out of 13) this BBL season, the lowest of any team in the tournament and six percentage points lower than the Sydney Sixers (83 per cent).
- Ben Dwarshuis (Sydney Sixers) has induced a false shot on 36 balls bowled this BBL season, the joint-most of any player in the competition (also Tom Rogers – 36 for Melbourne Renegades).
- Beau Webster (Melbourne Stars) has a bowling strike rate of six this season, the best of any player in BBL|13.
What's on the line?
A fourth straight win to start the season would put the Sixers at the top of the BBL|13 standings. They're currently second with six points, one behind the Heat who have seven points from their four games following a washout in Adelaide. Breaking their BBL|13 duck with a win would lift the Stars off the bottom of the standings, jumping crosstown rivals the Renegades who play the Scorchers in the second match of the Boxing Day double-header.
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