Dec 28: Perth Scorchers vs Adelaide Strikers, Adelaide

Pro Tip: Scorchers have picked up only seven wickets at an average of 41.42 this season. Use fewer bowlers from Scorchers for this game.

Our XI: Jake Weatherald, Alex Carey, Jonathan Wells, Daniel Worrall, Danny Briggs, Peter Siddle, Jason Roy, Mitchell Marsh, Ashton Turner, Jhye Richardson, Fawad Ahmed

Substitutes: Liam Livingstone, Josh Inglis, Matt Renshaw, Wes Agar

Player availability: Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone should be available for Scorchers after completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine. Scorchers' Ashton Agar was supposed to be available for this game after recovering from an injury but there no official update yet. Strikers' premier spinner Rashid Khan sustained an injury in the last game and he might not be fit to play this game. Alex Carey and Harry Conway are available again after missing the last match because they "failed to beat border closures due to NSW's COVID outbreak".

We might not always be able to tip you off about late injury (or other relevant) updates, finalise your team after the toss.

Captain: Ashton Turner

The 27-year-old middle-order batsman has looked in good form, registering scores of 24 (16), 39 (17) and 23 (14) so far. But he hasn't yet had a match-turning innings yet and this could be that game. Rashid has troubled him in the past but now that the legspinner is not fit, expect him to score runs.

Vice-captain: Alex Carey

Carey started off the season in fine fashion with a 40-ball 55 to help his side defeat Hobart Hurricanes. In his last nine BBL innings at Adelaide Oval, he has scored 20-plus runs in eight, which gives you a minimum guarantee. Last time he played at this venue against the Scorchers, he scored a scintillating 24-ball 55.

Hot Picks

Jake Weatherald: Strikers opener Weatherald has been in good form, making an unbeaten 48-ball 68 and a 15-ball 27 this season in the middle of two scores of 1. No one has scored more runs than him at Adelaide Oval, with 773 runs in 25 games at an average of 32.20 and a strike rate of 135.61. Last season, he scored a 47-ball 83 against Scorchers.

Mitchell Marsh: After getting injured in his very first game in IPL 2020, the allrounder missed almost three months of cricket. However, he made an unbeaten 41-ball 52 in the last game to help his side post a decent score. He is yet to bowl this season, but his batting abilities alone can get you points.

Peter Siddle: He has eight wickets in four games, and is the only player to pick a five-wicket haul this season. He has picked up 28 wickets in 18 games at an average of 15.57 at Adelaide Oval.

Differential Picks

Jhye Richardson: Although Jhye Richardson has picked up only three wickets in as many games, he has looked much better than that. He is due for a big game and this game can be the perfect opportunity as he has picked up more wickets against Strikers than any other BBL team - nine wickets in five games at an average of 14.11.

Jonathan Wells: Wells hasn't hit the form he showed last year but made some crucial contributions of 36* and 31 in the last two games. He has been an exception for Strikers at Adelaide Oval scoring 660 runs at an average of 41.25 and a strike rate of 138.36. In the last four innings here, he has made three 30-plus scores.

Alternate Scenarios

In place of Danny Briggs, you can add additional batter in Matt Renshaw or Liam Livingstone
Wes Agar and Daniel Worrall can be swapped