Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes Prediction & Match Preview – BBL 2025-26
Match summary
Melbourne Renegades take on Hobart Hurricanes at Simonds Stadium in BBL 2025-26. Our preview covers form, likely XIs, the pitch and a verdict.
Match details
| Match | Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes, 8th Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Big Bash League 2025-26 |
| Date | 21 Dec 2025 |
| Start time | 8:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm local |
| Venue | Simonds Stadium, Geelong |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Melbourne Renegades |
| Toss pick | Hobart Hurricanes |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Melbourne Renegades meet Hobart Hurricanes at Simonds Stadium in Geelong for the eighth match of the 2025-26 Big Bash League.
The Renegades began their season with a 14-run win over Brisbane Heat, defending a total of 212. Tim Seifert hit 102 off 56 balls and Oliver Peake made 57 from 29. Mohammad Rizwan, Fraser-McGurk and Josh Brown add further batting strength, while Will Sutherland, who took 3 for 33, and Harry Dixon offer all-round balance. Jason Behrendorff and Gurinder Sandhu shared five wickets in that game, with Hassan Khan the spin option.
Hobart have won one and lost one. Mitch Owen, last season’s top run-scorer with 452 at a strike rate of 203, has made 40 runs from two innings, and Nikhil Chaudhary has added 48. Ben McDermott leads their scoring this season with 107 from two matches, with Matthew Wade and Tim David providing the middle-order finish. Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake, who took 3 for 34 in the opener, Chris Jordan, Nathan Ellis and Rishad Hossain make up a varied attack.
With the form lines in their favour, our preview picks the Renegades, though Hobart have the tools to adapt.
The pitch at Simonds Stadium is usually slower and more demanding than at other Australian T20 venues. Bowlers can get an early advantage because the ball does not always come onto the bat, and the slower outfield makes boundaries harder to hit. Batters have to work their way in. The surface can ease a little as the innings goes on, but it rarely becomes a flat, high-scoring track, so smart running and disciplined bowling in the middle overs matter.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 150–165 | – |
| Second innings | 145–160 | – |
Melbourne Renegades
The Renegades won their opener comfortably, with Tim Seifert’s century and a varied bowling attack giving them the stronger early form.
Toss pick: Hobart Hurricanes
FAQ
Where is Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes played?
The 8th match of BBL 2025-26 is at Simonds Stadium in Geelong on 21 December 2025.
Which team is favoured?
Our preview picks Melbourne Renegades after their strong opening win over Brisbane Heat.
What score is competitive at Simonds Stadium?
About 165 is very competitive on this slower surface, and 170 or more would put real pressure on a chasing side.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Melbourne Renegades
- Josh Brown
- Tim Seifert
- Jake Fraser-McGurk
- Mohammad Rizwanwk
- Oliver Peake
- Will Sutherlandc
- Matthew Spoors
- Hassan Khan
- Gurinder Sandhu
- Fergus O’Neill
- Jason Behrendorff
Hobart Hurricanes
- Mitchell Owen
- Nikhil Chaudhary
- Rehan Ahmed
- Ben McDermott
- Tim David
- Matthew Wadewk
- Chris Jordan
- Nathan Ellisc
- Rishad Hossain
- Riley Meredith
- Billy Stanlake