HEA vs STA Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips & Playing XI Updates for Today's BBL 2019-20 Match - Dec 20th, 2019

Match 5 of BBL features Melbourne Stars beginning their campaign as they travel to the Carrara Oval to face Brisbane Heat on Friday.

Brisbane Heat couldn't start the season with a win as they succumbed to a resourceful Sydney Thunder side at the Gabba. They would love to kickstart their campaign although they face a formidable outfit in Melbourne Stars.

Runners-up in the previous season, Melbourne Stars came agonizingly close to ending their trophy drought. They have added a few players such as Nathan Coulter-Nile and Hilton Cartwright to their ranks which gives them the favourites tag for the entire tournament.

Both teams would be looking to register their first win off the season with early season form being crucial. With the Carrara Oval playing host to this game, a cracking encounter awaits between the two sides. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for HEA vs STA.

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Squads to choose from

Brisbane Heat

Chris Lynn(C), Tom Banton, Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, AB de Villiers, Sam Heazlett, Zahir Khan, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Lalor, Ben Laughlin, James Pattinson, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Mujeeb ur Rahman

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Melbourne Stars

Glenn Maxwell (c), Pat Brown, Hilton Cartwright, Jackson Coleman, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Peter Handscomb, Clint Hinchliffe, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nick Larkin, Nic Maddinson, Jonathan Merlo, Lance Morris, Tom O'Connell, Dale Steyn, Haris Rauf, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa

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Playing XI Updates

Brisbane Heat

Although they did lose their first game, no changes are expected from the Heat for this game. While Bryant and Banton will continue to open the batting, the onus will be on captain, Chris Lynn to deliver the goods in the middle overs.

The duo of Matt Renshaw and Sam Heazlett are capable of playing second fiddle to him with Ben Cutting handling the finishing duties. Ben Laughlin leads the bowling attack alongside Mark Steketee and Josh Lalor while the duo of Zahir Khan and Mitch Swepson could prove to be a handful for the Stars.

Possible XI: Banton(WK), Bryant, Lynn(C), Renshaw, Heazlett, Cutting, Steketee, Swepson, Zahir, Laughlin and Lalor.

Melbourne Stars

The Stars have added Nathan Coulter-Nile and Hilton Cartwright to their ranks which strengthens their team without question. While Coulter-Nile will spearhead an attack featuring Zampa and Rauf, Cartwright should feature in the middle order and provide an over or two as well with the ball.

Marcus Stoinis will open the batting alongside Ben Dunk with the formidable trio of Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson following them. Daniel Worrall should get the nod over Nick Larkin with Sandeep Lamichhane being one to watch out for in this game.

Possible XI: Stoinis, Dunk(WK), Handscomb, Maddinson, Cartwright, Maxwell, Coulter-Nile, Zampa, Worrall, Lamichhane and Rauf.

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Match Details

Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, Match 5

20th December 2019, 1:40 PM IST

Carrara Oval, Queensland

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Pitch Report

Another good batting track is on offer with the bowlers also getting help from the surface. Off pace deliveries are key on this wicket with the ball holding up a bit. 160 could be a very competitive total at this venue with teams looking to bat first here to make most of the conditions upfront.

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Fantasy Tips and Suggestions

Wicketkeeper: English wicket-keeper, Tom Banton had a lukewarm start to his BBL career. The Brisbane Heat opener struck a few boundaries before perishing within the powerplay overs itself. Nevertheless, he should get the nod over Peter Handscomb in this game with Banton's selection also helping the balance of the fantasy side in terms of credits.

Batsmen: Chris Lynn's last outing here saw him hit a rapid fifty against Sydney Sixers. Although he didn't score many runs in the first game, Lynn is a must have in the side. Ben Dunk is another such option with the southpaw topping the runscoring charts in MSL 2019 while batting at the top of the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants batting order. One of Nic Maddinson or Sam Heazlett should suffice as well in the fantasy team.

Allrounders: With a number of quality options available in this section, four allrounders are picked for this game. While Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell warranty a place in the side owing to their reputation, Ben Cutting should also fit in nicely.

He is likely to bowl in the death overs for the Heat and is also capable of clearing the boundary at will. As for the final pick, Matt Renshaw should also put in a decent performance with the south-paw batting in the middle order ahead of Heazlett.

Bowlers: The highest wicket-taker in BBL History, Ben Laughlin is another must have in the side with his death bowling skills being exemplary. Along with the former Adelaide Strikers' pacer, Nathan Coulter-Nile is also a worth-while option. Both of them should pick a wicket or two in this game while Adam Zampa also puts forth a compelling case. One of Zahir Khan or Daniel Worrall should suffice in rounding off the fantasy team for this game.

Captain: Marcus Stoinis had a wonderful BBL 2018-19 season. He scored 533 runs and also accounted for 14 wickets as he starred for the Melbourne Stars. He is the frontrunner for captaincy along with the likes of Tom Banton and Chris Lynn. If one were pick a bowler as one of the multiplier options, Nathan Coulter-Nile should fit the bill.

Fantasy Suggestion #1: Tom Banton, Sam Heazlett, Chris Lynn, Nic Maddinson, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Cutting, Matt Renshaw, Ben Laughlin, Daniel Worrall, Nathan Coulter-Nile. Captain: Marcus Stoinis, Vice-Captain: Chris Lynn

Fantasy Suggestion #2: Tom Banton, Chris Lynn, Ben Dunk, Nic Maddinson, Matt Renshaw, Ben Cutting, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Laughlin, Zahir Khan, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile. Captain: Tom Banton, Vice-Captain: Marcus Stoinis