Sydney Thunder vs. Melbourne Stars – Big Bash League, Sunday, December 12, 2021

The Sydney Thunder will be out for revenge when they welcome the Melbourne Stars to GIANTS Stadium this Sunday, December 12.

On Friday, the Stars claimed a four-run victory over the Thunder at the MCG. The teams looked relatively evenly matched last time out, so we are set for another close battle this weekend.

I share my prediction for Sydney Thunder vs. Melbourne Stars at the end of the post, along with a free betting pick. First, though, I break down the odds for Sunday’s clash before analyzing both sides.

As you can see, the top cricket betting sites can’t seem to separate these two sides.

Although the Stars beat the Thunder last time around, Friday’s clash could have gone either way. The Sydneysiders appeared to be in control before Team Green turned things around.

It is worth noting that Trevor Bayliss’ men have the home-field advantage on Sunday. They will almost certainly up their game at GIANTS Stadium, making life more difficult for the Stars.

It’s time to analyze the teams.

The Thunder secured a straightforward victory over the Brisbane Heat in their first match. Despite a late surge from Brisbane’s tail-enders, Bayliss’ side ended up winning by seven wickets.

Alex Ross was the star of the show against the Heat, smashing an unbeaten 61 off 46 balls. Sam Billings impressed, too, scoring 45* off 36.

Daniel Sams was the pick of the bowlers in the first match. The big all-rounder notched figures of 3-22 from his four overs, leaving Gurinder Sandhu (2-17), Nathan McAndrew (2-33), and Tanveer Sangha (1-22) to complete the job.

Last time out, Bayliss’ men managed to take just four wickets. Sangha (2-29) claimed a couple of scalps, with McAndrew (1-27) taking one. Marcus Stoinis was run out by Chris Green.

Alex Hales and Sam Whiteman both fell for only ten runs, continuing their iffy form. However, a half-century from Matthew Gilkes (56) and a solid knock from Billings (43) put the Thunder in the driver’s seat.

The Stars finished strongly, though, bowling economically while stemming the flow of runs. The Thunder required five off the final delivery to win the match, but Adam Zampa bowled a dot ball.

We all know that the Stars are renowned for their big-name players, but it was one of their lesser-known names that made the difference last time out.

Stoinis (13), Joe Clarke (13), and Glenn Maxwell (16) all fell cheaply before Nick Larkin (52) came to the crease and registered a classy half-century to put his team on the front foot.

Hilton Cartwright (42) produced an eye-catching knock, too, while Andre Russell chipped in with 17 runs off nine balls on debut.

In their first match, the Stars were totally outclassed by the Sydney Sixers. Not only did they allow the defending champions to reach 213/4, but they were also bowled out for just 61 runs after 11.1 overs.

It goes without saying that David Hussey’s men produced a much-improved performance against the Thunder.

These two sides produced a tight encounter on Friday. The Thunder looked set to chase down the target, but the Stars managed to subdue the Sydney franchise and claim their first win of the season.

The addition of Russell strengthens the Stars in both the batting and bowling department. Stoinis and Maxwell are powerful all-rounders, too, so I’m confident that Team Green will come out on top.

The away win is my Sydney Thunder vs. Melbourne Stars betting pick. The Stars showed glimpses of real quality on Friday, so I’m backing them to secure successive victories on Sunday.

There are two Big Bash matches to bet on this Saturday. If you’re planning to wager on the BBL this weekend, be sure to check out my other previews.