Your ultimate guide for the Hobart Hurricanes KFC BBL|13 clash with the Melbourne Stars at Blundstone Arena
All you need to know: Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars
Match facts
Who: Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars
What: Match 17, BBL|13
Where: Blundstone Arena, Hobart
When: Thursday, December 28. Bat flip at 6.30pm local (AEDT), first ball at 7.15pm local (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: Sam Nogajski (field), Ben Treloar (field), Paul Wilson (third), Simon Burns (fourth), Bob Parry (match referee)
Match squads
Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (c), Corey Anderson (USA), Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Liam Guthrie, Sam Hain (England), Peter Hatzoglou, Sam Heazlett, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan (England), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Mac Wright
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
Hurricanes: WLLWL
Victory against the Renegades got the Hurricanes on the board in KFC BBL|13, following back-to-back defeats to kick off their campaign. Despite an impressive batting effort led by Matthew Wade, the Hurricanes again conceded a sizeable total and – going at almost 10 runs per over in their last two matches – will need to tighten up with the ball.
Stars: WLLLL
The Stars snapped a seven-game losing streak when they upset the Sixers on Boxing Day, in a victory that not only lifts them off the bottom, but will do wonders for their confidence. Glenn Maxwell's side still sit at 1-3, however, and in a shortened season of 10 games will need to build some momentum if they're any hope of returning to the finals.
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
The experienced Matthew Wade led the Hurricanes' charge with 82 off 50 balls in their win over the Renegades, continuing his purple patch. Wade's 128 runs for Australia (who he captained) in the recent five-match T20 series against India following the ODI World Cup was the most for the tourists, and came at an impressive strike rate of 166.23. Few BBL players are seeing them as well as the hard-hitting left-hander at present.
Beau Webster came into BBL|13 in stellar red-ball touch and he's continued that form in the Stars' opening games. A superb all-round performance in the pre-Christmas game in Albury against the Thunder (59 and 4-29) was followed by a crucial 35 in a match-defining partnership against the Sixers alongside eventual player of the match Hilton Cartwright, who steered the men in green home. Cartwright (126 runs) is the Stars' highest run-scorer to date this season, and looms as crucial if the top order again fail to fire.
The match will also be the last for Pakistan duo Usama Mir and Haris Rauf as they're released for national duties, with their No Objection Certificates from the Pakistan Cricket Board only granted until Thursday ahead of Pakistan's five-match T20 tour of New Zealand beginning on January 12.
Head-to-head
Overall: Hurricanes (7 wins), Stars (12 wins)
At Blundstone Arena: Hurricanes (4 wins), Stars (4 wins)
Most runs: Glenn Maxwell (491), Ben McDermott (414), Marcus Stoinis (371), Luke Wright (295), George Bailey (294)
Most wickets: Riley Meredith (17), James Faulkner (10), John Hastings (9), Nathan Ellis (9), Adam Zampa (9)
The venue
Rapid stats
- Hobart Hurricanes have won their last two games against Melbourne Stars at Blundstone Arena. In fact, the Hurricanes have won seven of their past nine games in Tasmania but haven't won outside their home state in that same period (lost 10). The only team to beat the Hurricanes at Blundstone Arena in the past two BBL seasons has been the Sydney Sixers.
- Melbourne Stars snapped a seven-game losing streak with their four-wicket win over Sydney Sixers on December 26. A second straight win against the Hurricanes would be the first time the Stars have won consecutive matches in the BBL since January 2022 when they beat the Heat and Hurricanes in back-to-back games at the MCG.
- Chris Jordan (Hobart Hurricanes) has the third highest death overs (16-20) strike rate at 295 so far in BBL|13 while also scoring the third most runs (59) during the same period. Jordan hit the Hurricanes' fastest ever half-century in the Big Bash League with his 17-ball effort against the Scorchers on December 20.
- Tim David (985) is 15 away from reaching 1000 BBL runs. David's career strike rate of 155.11 from his 54 innings in the Big Bash is the highest of any batter to face more than 150 balls in the competition.
What's on the line?
Defeat for the Stars would leave them to 1-4 and on the verge of a fourth-straight Big Bash season outside the finals series, relying on a string of victories in the back-half of their campaign to squeeze in. Similarly, defeat for the Hurricanes would leave them 1-3 and with considerable work to do, compounded by a shorter 10-game season this summer.
BKT Big Bash Tipping is back! Be in the running for some epic prizes, or go for bragging rights with family and friends. Register now