Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes: The Scorchers Are the Head of the Table With 16 Points From 11 Matches

• Perth Scorchers have won five of the last six encounters but Hobart Hurricanes had claimed the victory earlier this season.
• The Scorchers are coming off a defeat while the Hurricanes have won their previous two fixtures.
• Hobart Hurricanes have defeated Perth Scorchers in three out of four games at Optus Stadium.

Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes Odds

Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes Prediction and Pick

Perth Scorchers lead the head-to-head record between the teams with 11 wins compared to 7 by the Hurricanes. The Scorchers are also in better overall form but there are a couple of things in favour of the Hurricanes. Matthew Wade's men have defeated Perth earlier this season and have a good record at Perth stadium, winning three out of four games. Despite having bigger odds, we predict Hobart Hurricanes to win this clash on Wednesday.

Predicted XI 

Perth Scorchers: Cameron Bancroft, Stephen Eskinazi, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Turner (c), Nick Hobson, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, David Payne, Matt Kelly 

Hobart Hurricanes: Ben McDermott, Caleb Jewell, Matthew Wade (c/wk), Zak Crawley, D'Arcy Short, Tim David, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Andrews, Nathan Ellis, Patrick Dooley, Riley Meredith

A Perth Scorchers Sized Challenge in Front of Hobart Hurricanes in the Playoffs Race

Perth Scorchers play host to Hobart Hurricanes in match no. 46 of the Big Bash League 2022-23. The two teams will lock horns at Optus Stadium on Wednesday, January 18th. 

The Scorchers are the head of the table with 16 points from 11 matches. They have won eight games and have lost just three, including the most recent fixture. Perth fell six runs short of the target against the Sixers at Sydney on Sunday. 

Peter Hatzoglou picked 2 for 27 off four overs to help his side restrict the hosts to 151/5. Chasing the target, the Scorchers had an awful start losing Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis for 35 runs in 6.2 overs. Ashton Turner (23 off 16) and Nick Hobson (27 off 18) played cameos while Stephen Eskinazi stayed unbeaten on 66 off 54 but couldn't cross the line.

Hobart Hurricanes have won five and lost five games in the season so far, with the net run-rate of -0.176. They're in the mix for the playoffs and every game is crucial for them. The Hurricanes have defeated Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder in the last two games. 

Nathan Ellis picked 4 for 27, including a hat-trick while Patrick Dooley (3 for 22) and Riley Meredith (2 for 14) were also exceptional as they bowled out the Thunder for 135. The Hurricanes were in a spot of bother, losing the top three for 20 runs in three overs before Matthew Wade (30 off 23) and Tim David added 79 runs. David hammered an unbeaten 76 off 41 to take his side over the line.

Team News

Perth Scorchers would be happy with the contributions made by Stephen Eskinazi and Nick Hobson in the previous game. Cameron Bancroft, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie and Ashton Turner have been in superb form. It's a strong batting unit but has been vulnerable at times. Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye have continued to perform in the absence of Jhye Richardson. They brought in Peter Hatzoglou in place of a pacer last game at Sydney but should revert back to pace heavy attack at home. Matt Kelly is likely to come in. 

Hobart Hurricanes have Caleb Jewell and Ben McDermott at the top followed by Zak Crawley, Matthew Wade and Tim David. The batting unit compliments each other well. Asif Ali hasn't done enough barring one game and the Hurricanes would be better served with D'Arcy Short in the side. The pace bowling duo of Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis has been outstanding on most occasions. The return of left arm spinner Patrick Dooley from injury strengthens the bowling attack. 

Key Players 

Josh Inglis has been excellent for the Scorchers, scoring 324 runs in 10 innings at an average of 41. The middle order batter has struck at a magnificent rate of 154 and has smashed three fifties in the tournament. With the form he's in, Inglis remains a key player for Perth in this contest. 

Nathan Ellis is coming off back to back 'player of the match' performances, picking 2 for 12 versus the Stars and 4 for 27 against Sydney Thunder. The right arm pacer has picked 14 wickets in the season at an economy of 8.59. Ellis has pace and good variations to be effective at Perth.

How to Watch Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes

• What: Perth Scorchers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Match 46, BBL 2022-23
• Where: Optus Stadium, Perth 
• When: January 18, 2023 / 3:40 AM EST 
• How to watch: Sony Sports Network/Sony LIV (India), SportsMax (Caribbean), Fox Sports & Channel 7 (Australia), Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), Willow TV (USA), Sky Sports Cricket (United Kingdom)