A spot in the BBL|14 Final is on the line as the top of the table Hurricanes host the second-placed Sixers in the Qualifier
Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers: Qualifier preview
Match facts
Who: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers
What: Qualifier, KFC BBL|14
Where: Ninja Stadum, Hobart
When: Tuesday, January 21. Bat flip at 6.45pm AEDT, first ball at 7.30pm AEDT
How to watch: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Listen: ABC, SEN
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 and Shawn Craig (field), Gerard Abood (third), Ben Treloar (fourth), Kepler Wessels (match referee)
Final XIs
Hurricanes XI: Mitchell Owen, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Wade (wk), Ben McDermott, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis (c), Cameron Gannon, Peter Hatzoglou, Riley Meredith
Ins: Riley Meredith, Peter Hatzoglou. Outs: Marcus Bean, Charlie Wakim
Star quick Riley Meredith – who has taken the most wickets for the Hurricanes this season – returns for the hosts after being rested for their final home-and-away match on Sunday where they were already assured of top spot.
Leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou also returns for the Hurricanes with batter Charlie Wakin and local replacement player Marcus Bean making way.
Sixers XI: Josh Philippe (wk), Kurtis Patterson, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques (c), Jordan Silk, Lachlan Shaw, Ben Dwarshuis, Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Mitch Perry, Jafer Chohan
Ins: Kurtis Patterson, Ben Manenti, Mitch Perry. Outs: Sean Abbott, Todd Murphy, Steve Smith (all Australia Test squad)
Victorian seamer Mitch Perry will make his debut for the Sixers, with Ben Manenti also brought in for his first match of the season. Kurtis Patterson has been recalled to open the batting alongside Josh Philippe with Steve Smith, Sean Abbott and Todd Murphy all unavailable following the Australian squad's departure to the UAE ahead of their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka.
Match squads
Hobart Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (c), Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Jake Doran, Cameron Gannon, Peter Hatzoglou, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan (England), Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim
In: Jake Doran. Out: Marcus Bean
The Hurricanes have made one change to the squad that travelled to Melbourne for the last game of the regular season with left-handed batter Jake Doran included at the expense of tall left-arm quick Marcus Bean.
Riley Meredith was rested for the loss to the Stars on Sunday is set to return to the XI for the Qualifier against the Sixers after playing in every prior in BBL|14.
Sydney Sixers: Jafer Chohan (England), Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Lachlan Hearne, Moises Henriques (c), Hayden Kerr, Ben Manenti, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Lachlan Shaw, Jordan Silk
Ins: Lachlan Hearne, Kurtis Patterson. Outs: Sean Abbott, Todd Murphy, Steve Smith (all Australia Test squad)
The Sixers' squad has been depleted by the Test squad's departure to the UAE ahead of their two-Test tour of Sri Lanka with Todd Murphy, Sean Abbott and Steve Smith all unavailable for the BBL|14 finals.
NSW-born batter Lachlan Hearne comes into the 13-man squad as a local replacement option with fellow left-hander Kurtis Patterson also returning to the fold. Hearne made his Sheffield Shield debut for NSW at just 20-years-old before moving north to Queensland ahead of this domestic season. Hearne, now 24, is fresh off a century for a Cricket Australia XI against England Lions last week.
What they said
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Top performers
Most Runs
BBL|14 BKT Golden Bat
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
1
Mitchell Owen
M Owen
|
452 |
|
2
David Warner
D Warner
|
405 |
|
3
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
351 |
|
4
Glenn Maxwell
G Maxwell
|
325 |
|
5
Marcus Stoinis
M Stoinis
|
311 |
|
6
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
280 |
|
7
Sam Billings
S Billings
|
271 |
|
8
Max Bryant
M Bryant
|
259 |
Most Wickets
BBL|14 BKT Golden Arm
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Jason Behrendorff
J Behrendorff
|
17 |
|
2
Riley Meredith
R Meredith
|
16 |
|
3
Tom Rogers
T Rogers
|
16 |
|
4
Mark Steketee
M Steketee
|
15 |
|
5
Lance Morris
L Morris
|
15 |
|
6
Lloyd Pope
L Pope
|
15 |
|
7
Ben Dwarshuis
B Dwarshuis
|
14 |
|
8
Spencer Johnson
S Johnson
|
13 |
Most sixes scored
BBL|14
| Player | Total |
|---|---|
|
1
Mitchell Owen
M Owen
|
36 |
|
2
Glenn Maxwell
G Maxwell
|
27 |
|
3
Cooper Connolly
C Connolly
|
19 |
|
4
Tim David
T David
|
17 |
|
5
Matthew Renshaw
M Renshaw
|
17 |
|
6
Max Bryant
M Bryant
|
14 |
|
7
Josh Brown
J Brown
|
12 |
|
8
Jake Fraser-McGurk
J Fraser-McGurk
|
12 |
Local knowledge
Rapid stats
- Hobart Hurricanes won their previous meeting with Sydney Sixers earlier this season by 50 runs, which was also at Ninja Stadium. That win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Hurricanes against the Sixers. The Hurricanes will be aiming for back-to-back wins against the Sydney Sixers in the BBL for the first time since January 2021
- Hobart Hurricanes' Matthew Wade (96) and Sydney Sixers' Moises Henriques (95) are closing in on registering 100 sixes in the Big Bash League.
- Sydney Sixers fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis (146) is four away from reaching 150 wickets in the Big Bash League.
- Sydney Sixers' Josh Philippe (99) will make his 100th appearances in the BBL in the Qualifier.
- Sydney Sixers have lost two of their last three BBL matches outside NSW, as many defeats as they logged across their 10 matches outside their home state prior to that span.
- Sydney Sixers (30.9) and Hobart Hurricanes (28.3) have the best batting averages of any teams in BBL|14.
- The Sixers' batting good connection rate (68.3 per cent) is the best of any team in BBL|14, while the Hurricanes (61.3 per cent) are ranked third in this category in the campaign behind Sydney Thunder (62.9 per cent).
- Hobart Hurricanes' Nikhil Chaudhary (21.6 per cent from 167 balls faced) and Sydney Sixers' Moises Henriques (21.9 per cent from 155 balls faced) have the best batting false shot rates of any players in BBL|14 (minimum 35 balls faced).
What's on the line?
A spot in the BBL|14 Final! The winner of the Qualifier goes straight through to the season decider on Monday, January 27, which will also be hosted by the winner of this match.
The loser gets a double chance and will host the Challenger on Friday, January 24 against the winner of the Wednesday's Knockout, which sees the third placed Sydney Thunder hosting fourth in a sudden death final.
The winner of the Challenger will secure the second spot in the Final where they will face the winner of the Qualifier for the chance to lift the BBL|14 trophy.
KFC BBL|14 finals schedule
Qualifier: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers, Ninja Stadium (Tuesday, January 21, 7.30pm AEDT)
Knockout: Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Stars, ENGIE Stadum (Wednesday, January 22, 7.30pm AEDT)
Challenger: Loser of Qualifier v winner of Knockout (Friday, January 24, 7.15pm AEDT)
Final: Winner of Qualifier v winner of Challenger (Monday, January 27, 7.15pm AEDT)