Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane Heat BBL Tips, Predictions and Preview

Gary Emmerson:

Only two points separate the Hobart Hurricanes and the Brisbane Heat ahead of their crucial game at Bellerive Oval on Friday.

It is a clash that could see serious ramifications on the Big Bash League standings as we move towards the business end of things.

The Hurricanes have been alternating wins and losses (W2, L2) and lost their recent fixture against the Melbourne Stars. The Heat have just one win in four games and lost their last match by 40 runs to fellow strugglers Perth Scorchers.

Hobart Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have been over-reliant on D’Arcy Short (120 runs, SR 123.71) for their runs, this season like other campaigns in recent times. With none of the other batsmen aggregating 100+ runs, the Hurricanes have a big problem on their hands.

Hobart’s bowling hasn’t been quite as much a worry, with three frontline bowlers performing consistently. Rylee Meredith, James Faulkner and Qais Ahmad have combined for 21 wickets so far. All three have been conceding at or lower than 6.28 runs per over and keeping the Hurricanes happy on at least that front.

Brisbane Heat

The Heat have been as poor as the Hurricanes on the consistency front. Matt Renshaw (126 runs) and Chris Lynn (123 runs, SR 166.21) have been their best batsmen, but otherwise their performances have been gloomy.

With Mitch Swepson called into the national side, there are even more concerns on the bowling front. Ben Laughlin (five) remains their joint-highest wicket taker, but with only one frontline bowler conceding at or below 6.12 runs per over, the worries for the Heat are prominent.

Match Up

The Hurricanes will be eager to get some consistency going in their game. Home comforts should bring some cheer for the fans as Hobart won their previous
fixture at this venue this season. The Heat have been banking their game entirely on Chris Lynn’s performances. It will be interesting if a confident Heat turns up. The Hurricanes will feel they can win this and they should – if they play to their potential.

History & Statistics

  • The Hurricanes have won nine of the last 11 H2Hs, including the last four.
  • The Hurricanes have a 5-1 win-loss record at the Bellerive Oval, winning each of the last five.
  • The chasing side has won four of the last five H2Hs.
  • The Hurricanes have won nine of their last ten matches at this venue.
  • The Heat have had the highest first 6 overs score in three of their four matches this BBL league season.
  • The team batting first has won 12 of the first 18 matches this season, with only four resulting in a win for the chasing side.

Key Players

It will be a straight shootout between two top-scorers in the historical H2Hs. Chris Lynn leads the tally with 345 runs, while D’Arcy Short is not far behind with 334 runs. Time for the two T20 swashbuckling pioneers to tee off.

Tips