Round 3 is done and for once we’ve got a few days off to mull over our trades before Round 4 begins on Sunday, so to help you navigate your way (note the Perth Scorchers have the double and play second) we’ve assessed the likely XIs this round.
Brisbane Heat v Sydney Thunder – Sunday @ Gabba
The Heat are back at the Gabba and blessed with the return of Mark Steketee and Mitch Swepson after they had been with the Ashes squad in Adelaide. Both have returned to Brisbane and are available to play, creating a huge selection dilemma on which bowler to miss out. One of Liam Guthrie, Xavier Bartlett or James Bazley will need to miss out. All three have had good moments this season, so they’ll be unlucky. The logic may be last man in, first man out, meaning Guthrie misses out.
The Thunder will welcome import bowler Saqib Mahmood for the first time after playing for the English Lions. He’ll likely slot in for Gurinder Sandhu and potentially bowl in key overs, which may impact popular pick Daniel Sams. Ollie Davies is also getting closer to a return from injury, having played club cricket on the weekend, which may impact Sam Whiteman or Matthew Gilkes.
Heat
Probable Ins: M.Steketee
Probable Outs: L.Guthrie
Doubtful: J.Wildermuth (inj)
Unavailable: M.Labuschagne (Ashes), C.Sully (inj), M.Willans (inj), M.Neser (Ashes)
1 C.Lynn
2 M.Bryant
3 B.Duckett
4 S.Heazlett
5 T.Abell
6 J.Peirson (wk)
7 J.Bazley
8 X.Bartlett
9 M.Swepson
10 M.Steketee
11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman
12th T.Cooper/L.Guthrie
Thunder
Probable In: S.Mahmood
Probable Out: G.Sandhu
Unavailable: B.Doggett (inj), O.Davies (inj), U.Khawaja (Ashes)
1 A.Hales
2 S.Whiteman
3 M.Gilkes
4 S.Billings (wk)
5 A.Ross
6 D.Sams
7 B.Cutting
8 N.McAndrew
9 C.Green
10 S.Mahmood
11 T.Sangha
12th J.Sangha/G.Sandhu
Perth Scorchers v Hobart Hurricanes – Monday @ Blundstone Arena
Tymal Mills is available to play after this game was moved from Perth to Hobart. Mills wouldn’t have been permitted into WA due to their hard border rules, but that’s no longer relevant. As a Perth may go in unchanged, having won 3-0, although Cameron Bancroft and Matt Kelly were unlucky to miss out last game and may be considered, especially the former with Kurtis Patterson only managing 13 in the last game. Look out for a potential return for Josh Inglis to opening too.
The Hurricanes have lost left-arm quick Joel Paris for several games while it seems Scott Boland will be unavailable as he’s flown to Adelaide and may stay on as emergency cover for the second Ashes Test. He may still be flown back to Hobart in time for Monday’s game but that’s not yet certain. Tom Rogers will come in for Paris, while import Jordan Thompson or young all-rounder Josh Kann would likely replace Boland. Riley Meredith is getting closer to a return from a hamstring injury but is unlikely to be ready for Monday’s game.
Scorchers
Probable Ins: None
Probable: Outs: None
Unavailable: L.Morris (inj), C.Connolly (inj), J.Richardson (Ashes)
1 C.Munro
2 J.Inglis (wk)
3 M.Marsh
4 K.Patterson
5 A.Turner
6 L.Evans
7 A.Agar
8 A.Tye
9 J.Behrendorff
10 P.Hatzoglou
11 T.Mills
12th C.Bancroft/M.Kelly
Hurricanes
Probable Ins: J.Thompson, T.Rogers
Probable Outs: J.Paris (inj), S.Boland (Ashes)
Unavailable: R.Meredith (inj), M.Owen (inj), T.Lammonby (import quota), J.Cox (import quota)
1 M.Wade (wk)
2 D.Short
3 B.McDermott
4 C.Jewell
5 P.Handscomb
6 H.Brook
7 T.David
8 J.Thompson
9 N.Ellis
10 T.Rogers
11 Sandeep Lamichhane
12th J.Kann/W.Parker
Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers – Tuesday @ SCG
The Sixers will be forced into two changes with English all-rounder Tom Curran’s season over and veteran spinner Steve O’Keefe tweaking a calf too. Sean Abbott is available after his partner gave birth to their daughter, while Hayden Kerr should come into the XI, having been used as an X-factor last game. Jackson Bird is getting closer to a return too, while this will be Chris Jordan’s last game in magenta, so consider that with regard to players’ job security.
The Strikers will be boosted by the availability of in-form bat Matt Renshaw and Henry Hunt for the first time this season after Australia A duty and both could slot in anywhere in the top order. Youngster Thomas Kelly and Daniel Drew will probably be squeezed out, although the former impressed with 26 off 15 on debut and may hold. Harry Nielsen and Jon Wells will shuffle down the order.
Garton’s return means a change among the attack too. Wes Agar should be OK despite being X-factored out last game, with Fawad Ahmed the likely change, although the venue and conditions may dictate that decision.
Sixers
Probable Ins: S.Abbott, H.Kerr
Probable Outs: T.Curran (inj), S.O’Keefe (inj)
Unavailable: J.Bird (inj), N.Lyon (Ashes), B.Manenti (inj), T.Curran (inj), S.O’Keefe (inj)
1 J.Philippe (wk)
2 J.Vince
3 D.Hughes
4 M.Henriques
5 J.Silk
6 D.Christian
7 H.Kerr
8 C.Jordan
9 S.Abbott
10 B.Dwarshuis
11 L.Pope
12th J.Edwards/M.Edwards
Strikers
Probable Ins: M.Renshaw, G.Garton, H.Hunt
Probable Outs: Fawad Ahmed, D.Drew, T.Kelly
Unavailable: A.Carey (Ashes), T.Head (Ashes), R.Gibson (inj), H.Conway (isolation)
1 J.Weatherald
2 M.Short
3 H.Hunt
4 M.Renshaw
5 J.Wells
6 H.Nielsen (wk)
7 G.Garton
8 Rashid Khan
9 D.Worrall
10 W.Agar
11 P.Siddle
12th T.Kelly/Fawad Ahmed
Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers – Wednesday @Marvel Stadium
Aaron Finch is expected to return for the Renegades, while James Pattinson should also come back in after soreness saw him miss the last game. Jack Prestwidge would likely drop out for the paceman, while it’s a tougher call on which batsman makes way for Finch. James Seymour or Jake Fraser-McGurk loom as the two most likely to drop out. Fraser-McGurk’s talent and hype means we’re predicting him to stay in the XI.
The Scorchers line-up will be dictated by performance in Monday’s game but there is scope for changes or rotations given they play two games in three days. Jason Behrendorff has been injury prone in the past and could be rested, given Matt Kelly has been unlucky to miss out lately. Kurtis Patterson is under an injury cloud too, after quad tightness in Monday’s win over the Hurricanes, with Cameron Bancroft his likely replacement.
Renegades
Probable Ins: A.Finch, J.Pattinson
Probable Outs: J.Seymour, J.Prestwidge
Unavailable: M.Harris (Ashes), S.Marsh (inj), U.Chand (import quota)
1 M.Harvey
2 A.Finch
3 S.Harper (wk)
4 N.Maddinson
5 J.Fraser-McGurk
6 Mohammad Nabi
7 W.Sutherland
8 J.Pattinson
9 K.Richardson
10 R.Topley
11 Zahir Khan
12th J.Prestwidge/J.Seymour
Scorchers
Probable Ins: None
Probable: Outs: None
Doubtful: K.Patterson (inj)
Unavailable: L.Morris (inj), C.Connolly (inj), J.Richardson (Ashes)
1 K.Patterson
2 J.Inglis (wk)
3 M.Marsh
4 C.Munro
5 A.Turner
6 L.Evans
7 A.Agar
8 A.Tye
9 J.Behrendorff
10 P.Hatzoglou
11 T.Mills
12th C.Bancroft/M.Kelly
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