BBL 2026 · Match 8 · Mon 21 Dec, 7:15 pm AEDT (1:45 pm IST)

Melbourne Stars vs Brisbane Heat match prediction and playing 11

Melbourne Stars play Brisbane Heat in match 8 of the BBL on Mon 21 Dec at 7:15 pm AEDT (1:45 pm IST), Junction Oval, Melbourne. Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat have met 21 times in the BBL: 8–13. Our fantasy pick for captain is Finn Allen, with Sam Harper as vice-captain.

Suggested fantasy XI

Highest expected points from both probable XIs: 11 players, at most 7 from one side, 1–4 wicketkeepers, 3–6 batters, 1–4 all-rounders and 3–6 bowlers

Wicketkeepers · 1

Batters · 5

All-rounders · 2

Bowlers · 3

  • Option 2: Xavier Bartlett in for Hilton Cartwright (299 expected points, against 303)
  • Option 3: Marcus Stoinis in for Jack Wildermuth (299 expected points, against 303)

Build your own: pick players and get the three best teams →

Suggestions are statistical estimates from past matches, not guarantees. CricketViz is not affiliated with the Big Bash League or any fantasy sports app.

Captain and vice-captain picks

Who to make captain and vice-captain, and why

CaptainFinn Allen MSExpected 29 points, so about 59 as captain (2×)Top scorer of this XI in 20% of 4,000 simulated matchesTop scorer of the match in 7 of 70 T20s (2 of 21 in the BBL)
Vice-captainSam Harper MSExpected 28 points, so about 43 as vice-captain (1.5×)In the XI's top two in 27% of 4,000 simulated matchesSecond-top scorer of the match in 2 of 39 T20s (0 of 27 in the BBL)

Close call: Finn Allen and Sam Harper are only 0.9 expected points apart, so either is a sound captain. Finn Allen tops this XI more often in our simulations (20% against 15%). Captaining Sam Harper is a differential pick that fewer teams are likely to make.

  • The captain earns double and the vice-captain one and a half times their points, so these two picks swing a fantasy team more than any other. Put your two highest expected scorers there.
  • When expected points are close, prefer the player who tops the scoring more often (the simulated share and the record below), or pick the other one as a differential that fewer teams will have.
  • All-rounders and top-order batters are steadier picks: they can score with the bat, the ball and in the field.
Captaincy options from the suggested XI
PlayerExp. ptsTop scorerTop twoBest CBest VC
Finn Allen MSC25 recent T20s2920%32%10%7/7010%7/70
Sam Harper MSVC25 recent T20s2815%27%8%3/395%2/39
Craig Overton MS25 recent T20s276%12%4%2/472%1/47
Jamie Overton MS25 recent T20s269%19%8%7/875%4/87
Matt Renshaw BH25 recent T20s2512%24%6%2/366%2/36
Jack Wildermuth BH25 recent T20s237%15%10%1/1010%1/10
  • Exp. pts: from the player's recent T20s (up to 25, shown under the name), newest counting most.
  • Top scorer / top two: how often the player scores the most (or is in the top two) in this XI, over 4,000 simulated matches.
  • Best C / VC: how often the player was the match's top (or second-top) fantasy scorer, across both teams, in their T20s of the last three years; not how many people picked them. How we calculate this

Melbourne Stars predicted playing 11

PlayerExp. ptsLast 5 games
Marcus StoiniscaptainBAT · 25+ T20s1922572636
Sam HarperWK · 25+ T20s28759413155
Finn AllenoverseasBAT · 25+ T20s292311712079
Craig OvertonoverseasBOWL · 25+ T20s272789231623
Jamie OvertonoverseasAR · 25+ T20s262434284014
Hilton CartwrightBAT · 25+ T20s20191524635
Peter SiddleBOWL · 25+ T20s17512421222
Glenn MaxwellBAT · 25+ T20s16421473-3
Tom RogersBAT · 25+ T20s1526180136
Mitchell SwepsonBOWL · 25+ T20s13254221
Liam HatcherBOWL · 25+ T20s11-3-63062
Rest of the squad (3)
Campbell KellawayBAT · 21 T20s13613-463
Todd MurphyBOWL · 25+ T20s131466302
Austin AnlezarkRole unknown · no T20 record in our data12—

Brisbane Heat predicted playing 11

PlayerExp. ptsLast 5 games
Matt RenshawBAT · 25+ T20s2597829244
Jack WildermuthAR · 25+ T20s23171373711
Usman KhawajaBAT · 25+ T20s2348-3131313
Michael NeserBOWL · 25+ T20s22401516-114
Nathan McSweeneyBAT · 25+ T20s20267241014
Max BryantBAT · 25+ T20s1714206042
Xavier BartlettBOWL · 25+ T20s161317864
Matthew KuhnemannBOWL · 25+ T20s1301213110
Tim RobinsonoverseasBAT · 25+ T20s1902631364
Hugh WeibgenBAT · 13 T20s15193221118
Spencer JohnsonBOWL · 25+ T20s1634-41466
Rest of the squad (4)
Bevon JacobsoverseasBAT · 24 T20s17577-32320
Tom CurranoverseasAR · 25+ T20s161906217
Lachlan HearneBAT · 2 T20s10-33
Callum VidlerRole unknown · no T20 record in our data12—

Predicted playing 11s are our estimate from each squad: once a side has played this season, its last XI, otherwise the captain first, then recent fantasy points, experience and last season's selections (with at most three overseas players). They change when the teams are announced at the toss.

How the points are counted

Playing in the XI+2
Each run+0.5
Each four / six (bonus on top of the runs)+0.5 / +1
50 / 100 runs (highest milestone only)+4 / +8
Out for a duck−2
Strike rate (5+ balls): under 70 / 130 and over−2 to −6 / +2 to +6
Each wicket (not run outs); bowled or lbw bonus+10; +2
3 / 4 / 5 wickets (bonuses add up)+6 / +8 / +10
Maiden over+4
Economy (1+ over): under 6 / 10 and over+2 to +6 / −2 to −6
Catch; 3+ catches bonus+4; +4 to +8
Stumping / direct-hit run out+6
Other run outs (thrower and catcher not recorded)+3 each
Captain / vice-captain2× / 1.5×

Our summary of a common T20 fantasy scoring system; apps differ, so check the values in the one you use. How we calculate expected points and picks →

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