Big Bash final free cricket betting preview and tips for Saturday

Cricket betting tips: Big Bash League

2pts Moises Henriques top Sydney Sixers batsman at 9/2

1pt Dan Christian to be Man of the Match at 12/1

As the curtain comes down an another edition of the Big Bash, it feels right that defending champions Sydney Sixers will lock horns with the most successful club in the history of the competition, Perth Scorchers, in Saturday’s final.

But for an early-season surge from Sydney Thunder as they briefly threatened to pull clear at the top of the league table, the Sixers and the Scorchers have consistently proved the best two teams on show and promise to produce a worthy final act.

Having finished first and second in the final league standings, these two sides met in the Qualifier when a brilliant unbeaten 98 from James Vince led the Sixers to the final and left the Scorchers needing to see off Brisbane Heat to set up this mouthwatering rematch.

Big Bash Final

• Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers
• Sydney
• Saturday February 6, 0840 GMT
• Sky Bet Big Bash final betting odds

The Sixers were dominant winners a week ago as their canny bowling attack, led by Steve O’Keefe and Carlos Brathwaite, restricted the Scorchers to an under-par 167-6 before their high-class top order make short work of the run chase.

The Sixers have been unparalleled chasers over the years, with this season’s Player of the Tournament, Josh Philippe, combining power and flair with James Vince’s silky skills before Daniel Hughes and Moises Henriques set things up for Jordan Silk and Dan Christian. This is a formidable and beautifully-balanced top six.

As already alluded to, the bowling is clever and very experienced, with a nice balance of spin, pace and some reliable death bowlers never to be underestimated.

I’ve made the point a number of times already this season that the Sixers have appeared to cruise along in second gear ahead of the finals, but they certainly took things up a level in the Qualifier and the Scorchers now know that only their very best cricket will suffice if they are to claim a fourth Big Bash title.

Having won two of the three meetings between the sides this season, the Sixers do look to hold the slight edge, especially when you factor in that the final will be played in Sydney in front of their home fans.

With that in mind, the even-money about the Sixers is very tempting, but the Scorchers are a fine side in their own right and when they have been asked to find something this year – just as was the case when they were without a win in their first four matches of the campaign, or when needing to beat a resurgent Heat outfit to reach the final – they have raised their game.

While the Sixers are solid and dependable, well drilled and ice cool under pressure, the Scorchers are capable of producing a standard of cricket that can blow away any side, even one as good as their Saturday opponents.

The batting line-up, when all the facets work in unison, is spectacular: Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone muscular and intimidating at the top of the order, Colin Munro and Josh Inglis creative and dynamic at numbers three and four, Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Turner well-rounded and so vastly experienced that they can counter with brute force or calm heads if required.

It’s a batting unit that might not boast quite the same depth the Sixers can, not from number seven down, anyway, but it might just have more star quality with Roy’s fitness race to the final one he simply must win. The Scorchers were more than good enough to overcome his absence on Thursday, but beating the Sixers in a Big Bash final without one of the best white-ball players on the planet would be an incredibly big ask.

As with their own batting, the Sixers might well argue they have more options and greater variety with the ball, too, but the Scorchers will believe they again boast more x-factor, with paceman Jhye Richardson almost certain to finish as the competition’s leading wicket-taker, Jason Behrendorff still a handful with the new ball, and AJ Tye back to his best. Throw Fawad Ahmed’s leg spin into the equation and this is a very dangerous attack, for all Aaron Hardie isn’t bombproof as the fifth bowler.

That summary probably reflects the final as a whole and while the Sixers seem highly likely to turn up and produce a typically strong and solid display, there is so much class in the Scorchers ranks that if just a few of their star performers were to turn it on come Saturday morning, they have the potential to surge to Big Bash glory once again.

That is precisely what happened when Livingstone, Marsh and Behrendorff dismantled the Heat on Thursday and it was a similar story when Munro, Richardson and Tye powered the Scorchers to an 86-run victory over the Sixers in Perth back in early January.

If the Scorchers can produce their very best cricket on the day, I’m not sure even the Sixers can live with them. Of course, doing that on the biggest stage and in the biggest match of the season is no easy task, and if they don’t, we can be sure that this ruthless Sixers outfit will take full advantage.

It's this dilemma that makes the final so fascinating, and it’s why taking evens about the Sixers isn’t as simple as I have for so long argued that it should be.

With the temptation to play in the outright market resisted, until after the toss at least, I’ll be concentrating my staking plan on the submarkets.

BoyleSports have dangled the carrot by offering 11/4 about the aforementioned Philippe in the top Sixers batsman market as he bids to finish the campaign as the leading runscorer in the competition.

Philippe currently stands 44 runs adrift of our 14/1 pre-tournament selection, Alex Hales, but scores of 84 and 45 in his last two knocks against the Scorchers suggest he has every chance of finishing with the Golden Cap.

With both teams boasting such quality at the top of their respective batting orders, the new ball might go a long way in deciding the outcome of this final and the Scorchers will be banking on Richardson and Behrendorff doing some early damage.

As good as Philippe has been this season, there have been occasions when he has struggled against the moving ball early on and Behrendorff caused him significant problems before dismissing him cheaply when they locked horns earlier in the campaign.

The Scorchers, and I, will hope that happens again and I’m happy to place a wager on HENRIQUES to top score for the Sixers given how impressive he has been since returning from international duty.

Henriques has registered scores of 56, 43 and 38 back in Sixers colours, looking in fine touch along the way, and though he wasn’t even required last week, I suspect his experience and impressive, all-round game will play a big role this time around.

He looks a bet at 9/2 in the hope the Scorchers can make early inroads with the new cherry, while I can’t resist a small bet on teammate CHRISTIAN in the Man of the Match market at 12/1.

Despite his advancing years, Christian remains one of the best T20 all-rounders in the business and has proven to be a brilliant signing for the Sixers this season, producing a host of brutal, late assaults with the bat and delivering some crucial, economical spells when called upon to bowl.

With the bat, Christian has blasted 252 runs at a whopping strike-rate of 186.66 and with the ball, the veteran campaigner has got through plenty of overs and picked up 13 wickets. Thirteen catches so far this term confirm he is still a fine outfielder, too.

As ever, Christian has generally made an impact when his team has needed it most and it’s worth remembering that he was Man of the Match when Nottinghamshire beat Surrey in the final of the Vitality Blast last summer.

Christian is usually a man for the big stage, and given I just about favour the Sixers here, it makes sense to have their all-rounder – a proven match-winner – in the staking plan.

In the same market, Munro caught the eye at 10/1 if you wanted to have a Scorchers man on side, especially with doubts around Roy's participation, given how well the former has performed this season.

However, Munro was shunted down the order following a strong start against the Heat on Thursday so I’ll keep my money in my pocket, similarly in regards to Richardson who is highly respected but hasn’t taken a wicket in each of his last two matches.

With the Scorchers top batsman market hard to weigh up while Roy’s condition is unknown, and the Sixers top bowler market always one to avoid given the amount of options at their disposal, I’ll happily stick with Henriques and Christian as my last two pre-match plays of the season.

Fingers crossed these two proven, big-match performers can finish another Big Bash season on a high note, and that Hales can cling onto the Golden Cap and provide these pages with a hefty return.

Posted at 1335 GMT on 05/02/21

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