HEA vs THU Dream11 Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tips & Playing XI Updates for Today's BBL 2019-20 Match - Dec 17th, 2019

Big Bash League 2019-20 action commences from Tuesday as former BBL champions, Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder start proceedings at the Gabba. With the disappointment of finishing in the bottom half of the points table last season, both Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder have made some changes to their roster.

While Brisbane Heat has strengthened both the batting and bowling units, Sydney Thunder has done well to seemingly fill a Shane Watson-sized hole in their roster.

Also see – BBL Most Wickets

Brisbane Heat will hold the edge prior to the start of the game with home conditions also favouring them. With a resourceful unit in place for the Thunder, they should give a tough fight and ensure a cracking contest on Tuesday along with much-fancied, Brisbane Heat. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for HEA vs THU.

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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

Sydney Thunder:

Callum Ferguson (C), Jono Cook, Oliver Davies, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Alex Hales, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Morris, Arjun Nair, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, Chris Tremain

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Playing XI Updates:

Brisbane Heat:

Brisbane Heat is set to unleash Tom Banton and Zahir Khan on Tuesday with both overseas stars included in the 13 man squad. While Banton will form a fearsome trio in the top order along with Lynn and Bryant, the prospect of Zahir Khan bowling in tandem with Mitchell Swepson is one to watch out for.

Matt Renshaw and Sam Heazlett will feature in the middle order while Ben Cutting provides the impetus in the death overs. One of Josh Lalor or Mark Steketee should get the nod to use the new ball although both of them could play as well with Swepson dropping out.

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

Sydney Thunder:

The Thunder look very well balanced with the additions of Alex Hales and Alex Ross adding to the firepower. The duo of Callum Ferguson and Usman Khawaja complement them perfectly with Matt Gilkes donning the gloves for the Thunder.

With Chris Morris not available for the first game, Daniel Sams and Arjun Nair will have to chip in with the bat as well with T20 specialist, Chris Green also in their ranks. Chris Tremain will open the bowling for them while Nathan McAndrew should get the nod over Hatcher.

Possible XI: Hales, Khawaja, Ferguson(C), Gilkes(WK), Ross, Sams, Nair, Tremain, Green, McAndrew and Cook.

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Match Details:

Brisbane Heat vs Sydney Thunder, Match 1

17th December 2019, 1:40 PM IST

Gabba, Brisbane

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Pitch Report:

A good batting track is on offer at the Gabba with the venue known for high-scoring encounters. The pacers will get additional help from the surface while the relatively long boundaries could aid the spinners. Scores of 170 and above are a common sight here with either side capable of breaching the par score with ease.

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Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:

Wicket-keeper: Both Matt Gilkes and Jimmy Pierson are in decent form with their performances in the recently concluded Marsh Cup being good. While Gilkes scored 150 runs at a strike-rate of 113.64, Pierson's knock of 79 in the final holds him in good stead. Nevertheless, Gilkes should get the nod with the Thunder keeper batting relatively higher than his counterpart.

Batsmen: Chris Lynn is the second-highest run-scorer in BBL history and should go past Michael Klinger's tally of 1947 runs. While he is a must-have player in the side, one of Tom Banton or Max Bryant is also a viable option. Usman Khawaja had a good outing in the practice game against Sydney Sixers with a rapid fifty. He also finds a place in the fantasy team with Callum Ferguson's form in the Marsh One Day Cup giving him the nod over Alex Hales.

Allrounders: Ben Cutting and Daniel Sams are the preferred allrounders for this game with both of them batting at number six and expected to bowl at least three overs. Both allrounders impressed last year and would be itching to continue their fine form. Nathan McAndrew is a viable alternative as well if one were to pick an extra all-rounder in the fantasy side.

Bowlers: New recruits, Ben Laughlin and Zahir Khan are proven performers in this format with their wicket-taking ability being crucial to the Heat. They are picked without any hesitation while T20 specialist, Chris Green is another handy option in the fantasy side. Chris Tremain's ability to pick wickets with the new ball is quite lethal as he could exploit the conditions at the Gabba on Tuesday.

Captain: Chris Lynn and Usman Khawaja come into BBL 2019-20 in fine form. While Khawaja was the player of the tournament in the Marsh One Day Cup, Chris Lynn won a similar award in the Abu Dhabi T10 League 2019 with 371 runs in eight games. While both of them are the ideal candidates for the multiplier option, Tom Banton is a useful option for the same.

Fantasy Suggestion #1: Matt Gilkes, Alex Ross, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Usman Khawaja, Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Chris Tremain, Ben Laughlin and Zahir Khan. Captain: Chris Lynn, Vice-Captain: Usman Khawaja

Fantasy Suggestion #2: Jimmy Pierson, Callum Ferguson, Chris Lynn, Max Bryant, Usman Khawaja, Ben Cutting, Daniel Sams, Nathan McAndrew, Chris Green, Zahir Khan and Ben Laughlin. Captain: Usman Khawaja, Vice-Captain: Tom Banton