Dec 13: Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Hobart

Pro Tip: The average opening partnership for the Hurricanes against the Strikers in the last four games is 107. Expect one - if not both - Hurricanes' openers to come good.

Our XI: Peter Handscomb, Tim David, Colin Ingram, D'Arcy Short, Riley Meredith, Rashid Khan, Phil Salt, Jake Weatherald, Jonathan Wells, Peter Siddle, Wes Agar

Substitutes: Will Jacks, James Faulkner, Matt Renshaw, Daniel Worrall

Player availability: Strikers captain Travis Head, Michael Neser, Harry Conway and Alex Carey are likely to miss this game. No major changes in player availability for the Hurricanes from the last game. We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, so please finalise your team after the toss.

Captain: D'Arcy Short

After a golden duck in the previous game, Short will look to bounce back against the Strikers. After almost every low score in the BBL, he has come back well in the next game. He has been the top run-scorer for the Hurricanes in every season he has played. He had also topped the overall tournament run chart in the seventh and eighth editions. The Strikers are his favourite opposition: he has scored 427 runs in eight innings at an average of 61 and a strike rate of 145.24 against them.

Vice-captain: Jake Weatherald

Ever since Weatherald's debut for the Strikers in the 2016-17 season, nobody has scored more runs for them than him. He has made 1235 runs in 48 innings at a strike rate of 129.72. The stylish left-hand opener's favorite opposition are the Hurricanes, scoring 304 runs in nine innings at an average of 33.78 and a strike rate of 139.45, including his career-best 115.

Hot Picks

Rashid Khan: Despite playing only in the last three editions of the BBL, Rashid is the BBL's all-time MVP, according to ESPNcricinfo's Smart Stats. Such has been the impact of his 56 wickets that have come at an average of 17.66 in 40 games. He can also get you points with his middle- and lower-order hitting.

Jonathan Wells: The finisher from the Strikers has been a revelation in the BBL in the recent past. No one has scored more in the death overs in the last two years than his 301 runs - at an average of 43 and a strike rate of 170.05. He was also the fourth leading run-scorer of the tournament last year, where he amassed 478 runs in 14 innings at an average of 68.28 and a strike rate of 135.41.

Colin Ingram: In the absence of some key players like Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott, Ingram showed his experience with a 42-ball 55 after both openers were dismissed for ducks. The 35-year old T20 specialist has done reasonably well for the Strikers in the past, scoring 610 runs in 25 games at an average of 30.50 and a strike-rate of 138.95.

Differential Picks

Peter Siddle: The former Australia pacer was the joint-leading wicket-taker for Strikers in BBL 09 along with Rashid Khan. He took 19 wickets in 14 games at an average of 18.21. In this season's Sheffield Shield tournament, he took an impressive 32 wickets in eight games.

Peter Handscomb: T20s might not be his strong suit yet, but he has played some memorable knocks in the BBL. Last year when he represented the Stars, he scored 188 runs in 10 innings at an average of 31.33 and a strike rate of 128.76. He also has a BBL hundred against his name. With the Hurricanes trusting him with captaincy in his very first game for the team, he is expected to make an impact.

Alternate Scenarios

Matt Renshaw could replace Phil Salt.
Will Jacks averages only 16.25 against spinners in the powerplay, so depending on the spinners the Strikers pick, you may include him instead of Tim David.