Match: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers
Date: 21 January, Saturday
Time: 4:25pm SGT/1:55pm IST/8:25am GMT
Competition: Big Bash League 2016/17
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground
TV Channel: Star Cricket will provide live TV coverage in Singapore.
Live streaming: Hotstar
Overview
We are heading into the final day of the group stages of the ongoing Big Bash League tournament with only two games to play and only one team, Brisbane Heat with 10 points, have qualified for the semi-final.
Four teams are now tied at eight points and there is chance a fifth team, Hobart Hurricanes (six points from seven matches), may join and make it a five-way tie if they beat Perth Scorchers in the first game on Saturday.
Notably, Sydney Sixers, eight points from seven games, slipped out of top-four after Melbourne Renegades beat table-toppers Brisbane Heat by a run on Friday. Moises Henrqieues' side, who are the only team with eight points to have a negative Net Run Rate (-1.062), need to clinch a big win against Melbourne Stars if they are to stand a chance of making the semi-final.
Sixers have big hitters of the likes of Michael Lumb, Moises Henriques and Colin Munro to post a big total and give themselves a chance. The presence of Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Johan Botha and Ben Dwarshuis in the bowling unit also make them a formidable unit.
On the other hand, Stars would want to seal the semi-final spot with a win as a defeat might see them slipped behind the top-four. They are also coming off a defeat against table-toppers Heat in their last group game.
No scores from Rob Quiney, Kevin Pietersen and Marcus Stoinis hurt their batting performance but the trio are experienced enough to make an impact in the big game. A lot will also depend on their in-form spinners Michael Beer and Adam Zampa as tweakers can afford to be aggressive at the MCG and reap rewards.
TV Schedule
Singapore: Star Cricket
India: Star Sports
US: Willow TV
UK: BT Sport 2
Australia: Network 10
South Africa: Supersport
Team News
Stars
Squad: Hussey (c), Pietersen, Beer, Gulbis, Harper, Quiney, Handscomb, Stoinis, Wright, Coleman, Boland, Gannon, Bowe, Hilfenhaus
Sixers
Squad: Henriques (c), Hughes, Munro, Lumb, Haddin (wk), Mennie, Silk, Abbott, Botha, Conway, Dwarshuis, Lyon, Bird
