Melbourne Stars will be aiming to bounce back from a loss in Perth while Brisbane Heat begin their title defence
Melbourne Stars v Brisbane Heat: match preview
Match facts
Who: Melbourne Stars v Brisbane Heat
What: Match 4, KFC BBL|14
Where: MCG, Melbourne
When: Wednesday, December 18. Bat flip at 6.30pm AEDT, first ball at 7.15pm AEDT
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, 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: Troy Penman and Benjamin Treloar (field), Samuel Nogajski (third), Daryl Brigham (fourth), Bob Stratford (match referee)
FINAL XI
Melbourne Stars: Tom Rogers, Joe Clarke, Sam Harper (wk), Marcus Stoinis (c), Beau Webster, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Curran, Hamish McKenzie, Campbell Kellaway, Adam Milne, Brody Couch
Hilton Cartwright makes a successful recovery from his heavy landing on the boundary at Perth Stadium in the season opener.
Campbell Kellaway comes in for his first game of the campaign with Peter Siddle coming out of the Stars XI.
Brisbane Heat: Jack Wood, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Daniel Drew, Max Bryant, Paul Walter, Will Prestwidge, Xavier Bartlett, Tom Whitney, Mitch Swepson (c), Matt Kuhnemann
Daniel Drew and Tom Whitney make their debuts for the Heat.
Match squads
Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis (c), Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Brody Couch, Tom Curran, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Hamish McKenzie, Jonathan Merlo, Adam Milne, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Beau Webster
Ins: Joel Paris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald. Outs: Peter Siddle, Doug Warren, Austin Anlezark
The Stars have made three changes after their first up six-wicket loss to the Scorchers with fast bowler Joel Paris and batter Campbell Kellaway named in place of veteran Peter Siddle and emerging spinner Doug Warren.
Austin Anlezark also makes way for fellow replacement player Blake Macdonald, while Hilton Cartwright has been cleared to play following a neck scare in the Stars' season opening loss to Perth Scorchers.
Glenn Maxwell misses again but could return for Friday's clash with Adelaide Strikers where England Test opener Ben Duckett will join the squad. Countryman Joe Clarke will play his final game for BBL|14 against the Heat.
Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro (c) (New Zealand), Tom Alsop (England), Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Daniel Drew, Matthew Kuhnemann, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Paul Walter (England), Jack Wildermuth, Tom Whitney, Jack Wood
Pace bowlers Spencer Johnson (toe) and Michael Neser (hamstring) were unavailable for the Heat's season opener as they return from injury, with Kiwi import Colin Munro to lead the side while Usman Khawaja and Nathan McSweeney are on Test duties.
Munro will be assessed before play after reporting tightness in his hamstring during training on Tuesday afternoon at the MCG.
Allrounders Jack Wildermuth and Jack Wood, along with pace bowler Will Prestwidge, could end a two-year absence in the BBL if selected against the Stars.
South Australian batter Daniel Drew and young Queensland quick Tom Whitney are among three potential debutants for the Heat after they were included in the squad as local replacement players. English draft pick Tom Alsop is the other potential debutant in his first Big Bash stint.
Club news
Melbourne Stars
Brisbane Heat
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Top performers
Most Runs
BBL|14 BKT Golden Bat
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
1
David Warner
D Warner
|
324 |
|
2
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
312 |
|
3
Mitchell Owen
M Owen
|
270 |
|
4
Marcus Stoinis
M Stoinis
|
264 |
|
5
Alex Ross
A Ross
|
250 |
|
6
Max Bryant
M Bryant
|
247 |
|
7
Ben Duckett
B Duckett
|
243 |
|
8
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
240 |
Most Wickets
BBL|14 BKT Golden Arm
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Tom Rogers
T Rogers
|
16 |
|
2
Lloyd Pope
L Pope
|
15 |
|
3
Jason Behrendorff
J Behrendorff
|
14 |
|
4
Lance Morris
L Morris
|
13 |
|
5
Ben Dwarshuis
B Dwarshuis
|
12 |
|
6
Henry Thornton
H Thornton
|
12 |
|
7
Mark Steketee
M Steketee
|
11 |
|
8
Spencer Johnson
S Johnson
|
11 |
Most sixes scored
BBL|14
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Glenn Maxwell
G Maxwell
|
20 |
|
2
Mitchell Owen
M Owen
|
19 |
|
3
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
15 |
|
4
Tim David
T David
|
15 |
|
5
Max Bryant
M Bryant
|
14 |
|
6
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
14 |
|
7
Chris Lynn
C Lynn
|
12 |
|
8
Matt Short
M Short
|
12 |
Local knowledge
Rapid Stats
- Brisbane Heat have won their past three matches against Melbourne Stars, which includes a massive 103-run win in their only meeting last season. The last and only time the Heat recorded a longer winning run against the Stars in the competition was a five-match span from December 2014 to January 2018.
- Xavier Bartlett (48) is two wickets away from reaching 50 in the Big Bash League.
- Captain Marcus Stoinis needs seven runs to become the second to notch 2700 runs for the Melbourne Stars after Glenn Maxwell (2792).
- Melbourne Stars have won only one of their last seven BBL matches in Victoria – an eight-wicket victory against the Melbourne Renegades (January 2, 2024).
- Brisbane Heat had a bowling economy rate of 7.2 in the BBL|13 season, the best of any team in the competition; in addition, their bowling strike rate (13.7) was the best of any team in the campaign.
- Brisbane Heat duo Spencer Johnson (118) and Xavier Bartlett (104) bowled more dot balls than any other players in the BBL|13 season.
- Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars) has scored 133 runs at an average of 66.5 across his last four T20 innings and he has not been dismissed in two of his last three BBL innings against the Brisbane Heat (29no, 36no, 2).
KFC BBL|14 standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
HUR
|
9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.135 | 0 | 15 |
|
2
SIX
|
9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0.156 | 0 | 13 |
|
3
THU
|
9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.34 | 0 | 11 |
|
4
STA
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.073 | 0 | 8 |
|
5
HEA
|
9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -0.794 | 0 | 7 |
|
6
STR
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.067 | 0 | 6 |
|
7
SCO
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.057 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
REN
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.033 | 0 | 6 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
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