Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers match prediction and playing 11
Melbourne Stars play Sydney Sixers in match 27 of the BBL on Thu 7 Jan at 7:15 pm AEDT (1:45 pm IST), MCG, Melbourne. Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers have met 25 times in the BBL: 9–16. Our fantasy pick for captain is Steve Smith, with Finn Allen 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 · 3
- Sam HarperMS28 pts
- Tim SeifertSS25 pts
- Josh PhilippeSS22 pts
Batters · 3
- Steve SmithCSS30 pts
- Finn AllenVCMS29 pts
- Jack EdwardsSS21 pts
All-rounders · 2
- Jamie OvertonMS26 pts
- Joel DaviesSS24 pts
Bowlers · 3
- Craig OvertonMS27 pts
- Chris JordanSS19 pts
- Ben DwarshuisSS18 pts
- Option 2: Hilton Cartwright in for Josh Philippe (311 expected points, against 313)
- Option 3: Hayden Kerr in for Josh Philippe (310 expected points, against 313)
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
Close call: Steve Smith and Finn Allen are only 1.1 expected points apart, so either is a sound captain. Finn Allen tops this XI more often in our simulations (20% against 17%). Captaining Finn Allen 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.
| Player | Exp. pts | Top scorer | Best C | Best VC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Smith SSC25 recent T20s | 30 | 17% | 22%5/23 | 13%3/23 |
| Finn Allen MSVC25 recent T20s | 29 | 20% | 10%7/67 | 10%7/67 |
| Sam Harper MS25 recent T20s | 28 | 13% | 9%3/34 | 6%2/34 |
| Craig Overton MS25 recent T20s | 27 | 5% | 4%2/47 | 2%1/47 |
| Jamie Overton MS25 recent T20s | 26 | 7% | 7%6/82 | 5%4/82 |
| Tim Seifert SS25 recent T20s | 25 | 11% | 8%9/120 | 8%9/120 |
- 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
| Player | Exp. pts | Last 5 games |
|---|---|---|
| Marcus StoiniscaptainBAT · 25+ T20s | 19 | 22572636 |
| Sam HarperWK · 25+ T20s | 28 | 759413155 |
| Finn AllenoverseasBAT · 25+ T20s | 29 | 2311712079 |
| Craig OvertonoverseasBOWL · 25+ T20s | 27 | 2789231623 |
| Jamie OvertonoverseasAR · 25+ T20s | 26 | 2434284014 |
| Hilton CartwrightBAT · 25+ T20s | 20 | 151924635 |
| Peter SiddleBOWL · 25+ T20s | 17 | 512421222 |
| Glenn MaxwellBAT · 25+ T20s | 16 | 421473-3 |
| Tom RogersBAT · 25+ T20s | 15 | 26180136 |
| Mitchell SwepsonBOWL · 25+ T20s | 13 | 254221 |
| Liam HatcherBOWL · 25+ T20s | 12 | -3-63062 |
Rest of the squad (3)
| Campbell KellawayBAT · 21 T20s | 13 | 613-463 |
| Todd MurphyBOWL · 25+ T20s | 13 | 1466302 |
| Austin AnlezarkRole unknown · no T20 record in our data | 12 | — |
Sydney Sixers predicted playing 11
| Player | Exp. pts | Last 5 games |
|---|---|---|
| Steve SmithBAT · 25+ T20s | 30 | 163281500 |
| Joel DaviesAR · 25+ T20s | 24 | 824461561 |
| Josh PhilippeWK · 25+ T20s | 22 | 1423152413 |
| Jack EdwardsBAT · 25+ T20s | 21 | 31819306 |
| Hayden KerrAR · 25+ T20s | 19 | 311621712 |
| Tim SeifertoverseasWK · 25+ T20s | 25 | 126457817 |
| Ben DwarshuisBOWL · 25+ T20s | 18 | 10326436 |
| Jafer ChohanoverseasBOWL · 25+ T20s | 17 | 51416240 |
| Lachlan ShawBAT · 15 T20s | 16 | 1019182216 |
| Sean AbbottBOWL · 25+ T20s | 13 | 3151827 |
| Chris JordanoverseasBOWL · 25+ T20s | 19 | 4721282420 |
Rest of the squad (6)
| Jordan SilkBAT · 25+ T20s | 13 | 1152910 |
| Oliver DaviesBAT · 25+ T20s | 13 | 319221112 |
| Corey RocchiccioliBOWL · 5 T20s | 17 | 142122423 |
| Fergus O'NeillBOWL · 12 T20s | 14 | 5-4181530 |
| Riley KingsellRole unknown · no T20 record in our data | 12 | — |
| Jake ScottRole unknown · no T20 record in our data | 12 | — |
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-captain | 2× / 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 →