AUS- T20 League 2023-24

Match 1: HEA vs STA

Preview 

Brisbane Heat (HEA) and Melbourne Stars (STA) will lock horns in the curtain raiser of the AUS T20 League 2023-24 at the Gabba, Brisbane on Thursday, December 7. HEA were fifth on the points table last season but they stepped up during the knockouts to make it to the finals. The team suffered an agonisingly painful loss in the ultimate encounter as they were defeated by the Perth Scorchers (SCO). 

HEA has earned the tag of slow starters over the years. They will be eager to break that tradition this time around. The men in blue will bank on their formidable bowling prowess to deliver the goods this season. Express bowler Spencer Johnson showed us a glimpse of how lethal he really can be with his performance last season and will be a bowler to keep an eye on. 

He will be accompanied by Micheal Neser, Xavier Bartlett and Will Prestwidge in the seam bowling department. The spin attack comprises the pair of Matthew Kuhnemann and Mitchell Swepson. In the batting department Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne are both available for this match and so are Sam Billings and Colin Munro. 

With such quality players in their ranks, we expect last year’s runner-up to put up a good score. 

Their opponents STA had an appalling outing in the 2022-23 season where they mustered just three wins and concluded with the wooden spoon. They have since revamped the squad, roping in some fresh talent. 

The biggest positive for STA ahead of the upcoming season is the return of Glenn Maxwell. He missed out the last season due to an injury, and his availability for this match will be a massive boost, particularly given his recent form. Besides Maxwell, STA are also home to some talented all rounders including Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Coulter Nile and Imad Wasim, all of whom are very able with both bat and ball in hand. 

Sam Harper has been in sublime touch during the Sheffield Shield tournament and is expected to open the batting alongside Tom Rogers. The new ball will be shared by seam pair of Haris Rauf and Joel Paris, while Usama Mir will play as a specialist spinner. 

Match Details

Match: HEA vs STA, 1st Match, AUS-T20 League 2023-24

Date: Thursday, December 07, 2023

Time: 1:45 PM

Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

Pitch and Weather Report

The Gabba pitch is generally good to bat on. The average first innings score at this venue is 170. The pitch is expected to remain true throughout the match, providing plenty of pace and bounce, and allowing batters to play their shots. Seamers need to be cautious of their line and lengths. 

Clear skies with temperatures between 23 and 25 degree celsius is forecasted for the day. 

HEA vs STA Squads

HEA: Usman Khawaja, Xavier Bartlett, Sam Billings, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Paul Walter, Jack Wildermuth

STA: Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Dawson, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Usama Mir, Jono Merlo, Joel Paris, Haris Rauf, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Olly Stone, Imad Wasim, Beau Webster

HEA vs STA Probable Playing XIs

HEA: Josh Brown, Usman Khawaja (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro, Sam Billings (wk), Paul Walter, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Michael Neser, Mitch Swepson, Matthew Kuhnemann

STA: Sam Harper (wk), Nick Larkin, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell (c), Hilton Cartwright, Tom Rogers, Liam Dawson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Brody Couch, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir

Match Prediction

HEA are firm favourites at home due to their imperious performance last season and the dismal show from STA. With Glenn Maxwell back in the squad, STA will be a lot stronger but they can not expect him to get them out of trouble in each and every game. We are predicting a win for HEA to get this year’s tournament up and running  

Suggested Playing XI Real11 Fantasy Cricket



Team 1

Team 2