Teams Status

Melbourne Stars

This is a contest between two of the league’s worst-performing teams this season. Melbourne Stars sit at the bottom of the points table with just 10 points to their name while Adelaide only sits a spot above.

Melbourne are unlucky to be last as they have a win more than Adelaide’s two but their totals have a three-point difference.

The Stars, as expected from a team being dead last and reeling from a massive Covid outbreak, are in bad form and have won just one of their last five matches.

In their last game, a Melbourne Derby, they were humbled by the much healthier Renegades, with the Stars’ spin ace Adam Zampa admitting that the disparity between the two sides had “taken the piss” out of what has traditionally been the hottest fixture of the tournament.

Talking of Zampa, he is now healthy and will captain the Stars in this fixture. While a vast majority of their infected players have recovered, it’s uncertain how many of them will start tomorrow. Glenn Maxwell, who caught the virus later, is still sidelined while Nathan Coulter-Nile is out injured.

Adelaide Strikers

Adelaide Strikers snapped a run of six straight defeats in their last game, defeating Hobart Hurricanes in what was a sizable upset.

Veteran pacer Peter Siddle was the star of the show in that game, taking five wickets for just 23 runs, first getting rid of Hobart dangerman Ben McDermott at the start of the innings, then returning later to dismiss big-hitting Tim David before running through the Hobart tail.

The 126 they skittled Hobart at were too few for even a so-so batting unit of Adelaide, although Matthew Short played well that night with an unbeaten 44-ball 72 in a successful run chase.

It was a good showing but there is still a long way to go before the Adelaide faithful can get excited.