Melbourne Renegades vs Melbourne Stars Prediction & Match Preview – BBL 30th Match

Will Sutherland’s Renegades go into the Melbourne derby on the back of a four-wicket win over Perth Scorchers, their second victory in a row. The bowlers did the bulk of the work in that game, and Sutherland will want more from the batters. They have also beaten the Stars once already this season and will be keen to keep that record intact.

Josh Brown and Tim Seifert provide firepower at the top, though Mohammad Rizwan’s lack of runs has been a worry for the middle order, where Jake Fraser-McGurk and Oliver Peake also play a part. Hassan Khan and Sutherland are expected to finish. Gurinder Sandhu took four wickets last time and will share the new ball with Jason Behrendorff, while Callum Stow and Sutherland were a little expensive and need to tighten up.

Marcus Stoinis’s Stars are under pressure after three straight defeats, the latest a six-wicket loss to Sydney Sixers in which the batting collapsed. Sam Harper and Thomas Rogers are expected to open, with Stoinis, Campbell Kellaway and Blake Macdonald through the middle and Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright to finish. Peter Siddle and Liam Hatcher must provide early breakthroughs, with Haris Rauf and Mitchell Swepson adding variety.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Docklands Stadium usually offers a good batting surface with even bounce and consistent pace. The new ball comes onto the bat nicely in the powerplay, and quick bowlers may find some early movement under lights before run rates rise as the ball softens. Spinners get limited turn, but those with good variations can still be effective in the middle overs. It is a balanced wicket with a slight lean towards batters, and totals of 170–190 are often competitive in T20s here.

Weather

Conditions should be largely favourable, with mild to warm weather, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies and little threat of rain. Temperatures are likely to sit in the low to mid-20s°C and ease later, with light winds and dry air limiting disruption.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 160–175
• 2nd innings: 155–170

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