Sydney Sixers vs Adelaide Strikers could very well be one of the semifinals of the Big Bash League, and the two teams will look to cement that all-important knockout place with a victory at the SCG on Wednesday.
The Strikers are nicely placed in second at the moment with nine points, one point behind the always-reliable Perth Scorchers, while the Sixers are a further point below.
A victory for the Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday, and they will be guaranteed a home semifinal, something that every team needs, while the Sydney Sixers will know a win for them in front of their own fans means they will be playing a little more cricket beyond the league stages.
This match between the Sixers and the Strikers will be a contest of two high quality sides, and with Sydney, who will have Nathan Lyon back available, expected to go in with a lineup that will have a an extra bowler or two in there it will be up to their batsmen, especially the in-form middle order duo of Jordan Silk and Ryan Carters, to take them forward.
"What I think held us in great stead in Brisbane is that the top order got off to such a good start," said Carters to the team's official website. "We scored over 60 runs in the power play and once you get a platform like that it really helps the middle order batsman coming in who have a bit more time to get themselves in before they start to look for boundaries."
"Hopefully the top order can post a big total there," added Silk. "But Ben Laughlin is a high quality bowler. We've seen it over the last few Big Bashes that he continues to take wickets.
"If he isn't firing at you, they've got Shaun Tait a fair bit during their middle overs as well. We're going to have to be on our game. Their spinners in Adam Zampa and Johan Botha are high class so they pose some real threats across the park."
The Strikers will go into this match a little less under pressure after getting that much-needed point which ensured their place in the BBL04 Finals. However, that point was gained by a washout against the Sydney Thunder, and they will look for some much much-needed match practice against the Sixers, and more importantly, that guaranteed home semifinal.
Where to Watch Live
The match is set for a 7.40 pm local time (2.10 pm IST, 8.40 am GMT) start with live coverage in India on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD1. Viewers in India can also catch all the action via live streaming on Starsports.com.
Australia viewers can watch the match live on Channel 10, with the live streaming option available on Ten Play or Cricket Australia Live. UK viewers can watch the game live on Sky Sports 2, while the option to live stream is on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports.
New Zealand viewers can catch the match on Sky Sport or Sky Sport Go, while the audience in the Middle East and North Africa can do the same on OSN or OSN Play. Viewers in Africa watch the match live on SuperSport, while the game can also be live streamed on SuperSport Online.
Squads: Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques (capt), Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Ed Cowan, Simon Keen, Brett Lee, Michael Lumb, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O'Keefe, Jordan Silk, Riki Wessels.
Adelaide Strikers: Johan Botha (capt), Jono Dean, Seb Gotch, Travis Head, Ben Laughlin, Trent Lawford, Tim Ludeman, Gary Putland, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Craig Simmons, Shaun Tait, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Adam Zampa.
