It's show time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)! Melbourne Stars will lock horns with Syndey Thunder on a super Sunday in the KFC Big Bash League (BBL) 2015-2016 Final.
What a moment for both sides as they will make their first ever appearance in the BBL final ever since the inception of the tournament!
One can be rest assured that this final is going to be a riveting encounter.
Sydney Thunder were the underdogs at the start of the tournament, but played some good all-round cricket to sneak into this big final. The Stars, on the other, made a remarkable turnaround after a poor start to the tournament.
Usman Khawaja is probably in the form of his life with the bat. He has so far played three matches in this edition of the BBL, and has managed to score a couple of centuries and a fifty. Stars will want to get the priceless wicket of Khawaja as early as possible in the final on Sunday.
When these two sides met during the league stage in the current season of BBL, Thunder walked away with a thumping victory riding on the century of Khawaja.
All-rounders Andre Russell and Shane Watson have also been in terrific form. Both players can be equally dangerous, and the Stars will be wary of their ability to rip apart any bowling attack across the globe.
Kevin Pietersen, on the other hand, has been extremely consistent with the bat. He powered the Stars to their first ever final with a blinder in the semifinals against Perth Scorchers the other night.
Luke Wright's role at the top of the order will be absolutely crucial. Marcus Stoinis is another all-rounder who can make a difference with both the willow and the ball.
The Stars will be without the services of Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, Scott Boland and James Faulkner. But that is not bothering Daniel Worrall, who was outstanding with the ball in the semifinals against the Scorchers.
"It's still brilliant to be part of a squad that involves four guys that are with Australia at the moment," Worrall told Crocmedia.
"The guys on the fringe are still preparing and thinking about our games as much as they are. It's all about when we get that chance to stand up and do something. That's what Stephen Fleming is big on, having that squad mentality rather than a first XI."
This will be the last time Michael Hussey features in the Big Bash League. The Thunder will want to give Mr Cricket a fitting farewell, but David Hussey may not have similar plans for his brother.
The Hussey brothers (Michael and David) are the skippers of the Thunder and the Stars, respectively. What will be interesting to see is both of them know each others' game pretty well. Who will win this battle of nerves and wits? We will have to wait and watch.
The Weather
According to the weather reports, there are chances of showers during the evening and in the afternoon as well in Melbourne. The rain gods may play spoiltsport on Sunday, and if they do, it will be Melbourne Stars who will emerge victorious as they had finished higher on the league stage points table.
Probable lineups:
Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis, Luke Wright, Kevin Pietersen, Peter Handscomb (wk), David Hussey (C), Rob Quiney, Evan Gulbis, Adam Zampa, Ben Hilfenhaus, Daniel Worrall, Michael Beer.
Sydney Thunder: Usman Khawaja, Shanw Watson, Mike Hussey (C), Henry Nicholas, Ben Rohrer, Andre Russell, Chris Green, Chris Hartley (wk), Clint McKay, Fawad Ahmed, Nathan McAndrew.
Where to watch live:
The Final of the KFC Big Bash League between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder is scheduled for a 7:20 pm local time (2:10 pm IST and 8:40 am GMT) start with the live coverage in India will be available on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD 1. T20 fans in India can also stream the BBL semifinal live on Starpsorts.com.
Viewers in Australia, can tune into Channel 10 to catch the live action of the KFC BBL Final - Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder.
Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder can be streamed live in the Australian continent on Tenplay, Bigbash.com.au and cricket.com.au.
Audience in the UK can switch to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD 1 to catch the live action of the Final of the KFC BBL 2015-2016 - Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder. The live streaming option will be available on Watch Sky Sports in UK.
Cricket Fans in the US can watch Stars vs Thunder - KFC Big Bash League Final on Willow TV. Viewers can also stream the same on Willow TV Online.
