There are two games from the Big Bash on New Year's Day, and Richard Mann is on hand with his preview and best bets for all the action.
Cricket betting tips: Big Bash New Year's Day
2pts Shai Hope to make a fifty at 10/3 (bet365, Betway)
2pts No fifty in the Brisbane Heat/Melbourne Stars match at 5/1 (General)
New Year’s Day brings a double-header from the Big Bash, kicking off with Sydney Sixers’ trip to Tasmania to take on Hobart Hurricanes, starting at 5:00am, UK time.
The Sixers haven’t put a foot wrong in four matches so far this season and will put their unbeaten record on the line against a Hurricanes outfit that have now won two from three.
Already clear at the top of the league table, all indications are that the Sixers will take an awful of stopping again this season, though the Hurricanes will fancy they themselves can prove title contenders having batted very well to down both Perth Scorchers and Adelaide Strikers.
What is the best bet?
One man who we always like on these pages is SHAI HOPE, and the West Indian has made a bright start to life in Hurricanes colours, scores of 13, 38 and 37 suggesting a big hand is just around the corner.
Hope is a class act, with an outstanding white-ball record, and it is testament to his ability to make big runs that the elegant right-hander has 19 international hundreds to his name, and 36 fifties.
He really is a class act, and I like the match-up against this Sixers attack that features plenty of spin which Hope plays so well, including fellow West Indian Akeal Hosein who will have no secrets from Hope.
I’ll kick off by backing Hope TO MAKE A FIFTY IN THE MATCH at 10/3.
With Sean Abbott still on international duty with Australia, Ben Dwarshuis remains the man to beat in the top Sixers bowler market, though I’ve been really impressed with Hayden Kerr this season and he ought to win this market at some stage.
Heat hosts Stars at the Gabba
In the second fixture on New Year’s Day, Brisbane Heat take on Melbourne Stars at the Gabba, starting at 8:15am, UK time.
Despite boasting a powerful batting line-up, the Stars have endured a dreadful start to their campaign, losing all five matches.
Safe to say David Warner is happy with that! 😂
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 28, 2024
Sangha gets Maxwell! #BBL14 pic.twitter.com/RF0bD7SFGe
The Heat started well, but have lost their last two now, and the batting on both sides does have questions to answer here.
The Heat have lost a couple of big names from their title-winning team last year, and it shows. This batting line-up hasn’t managed a half-century in their last two matches.
Don't bank on big runs
The signing of Tom Banton promises to remedy that to some degree, but with the Stars’ own batting also struggling for consistency, I’m leaning towards betting NO FIFTY IN THE MATCH at 5/1.
Banton’s presence does worry me, as I’m convinced he’ll do well this season and beyond, while the excellent Ben Duckett has made a brace of half-centuries for the Stars in his last two innings.
However, it’s hard to shake the overall assessment that these are two misfiring batting units, and in the case of the Heat, they have a very fine bowling attack. If the Stars were to bat first, this bet would not be anything close to a 5/1 shot.
I’ll take a chance at the current prices.
Posted at 1300 GMT on 30/12/24
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