Familiar foes, Stars and Scorchers fight for place in BBL final

[Sagar]

The last time Perth Scorchers met Melbourne Stars earlier in Big Bash League 2016-17, they were shot out for 134 and went down in a seven-wicket victory for the opponents. This time though in what is meant to be a high-octane semifinal clash, Scorchers would be keen to brush aside this score of mediocrity.

On the other hand, Melbourne Stars would be going through mixed emotions having entered the semis without winning their final game and just sneaking through on the account of a better net run-rate. There's no denying they would be chuffed about their entry into the knock-outs, but a win coming into it would have helped.

Michael Klinger has been the major force in the Scorchers' batting setup while Shaun Marsh hit form with a fine fifty only in their last game against Hobart Hurricanes. Ian Bell would want to turn up his 'A' game for the big billing as the Scorchers would want to make the most of their home advantage. Adam Voges and Ashton Turner got a couple of blitzkriegs going and if the need be on Tuesday, they could add to their team's weight. Mitchell Johnson and Tim Bresnan snared two wickets apiece in their previous game and given the conditions at the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground and their liking for the heavy ball, they might be the go-to-men for their side.

Luke Wright has suddenly bounced back to form with two solid fifties to his name in the last couple of outings, while Rob Quiney and Kevin Pietersen - the other two batsmen in the top three, will hold prime importance. Pietersen's big-hitting coupled with his big-match experience should make for a great advantage in the semis for the Stars. Ben Hilfenhaus and Scott Boland have been among the top wicket-takers and would look to stretch their good form into the business end of the tournament. In a fairytale-like change to the look of their side, Marcus Stoinis comes back for the key clash after being released from his ODI duties. When Stars downed Scorchers in their only meeting in the Big Bash this edition, it was Stoinis's scorching performance with the bat which stood out apart from Michael Beer's miserly spell which had two wickets too.

When: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, 1st Semifinal, 16.40 Local time, 2.10 PM IST
Where: Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth
What to expect: As it almost always is in Perth, another warm day awaits the semifinalists with the temperature expected to be around 31 degrees.

Team News:
Melbourne Stars: In big news ahead of their semifinal clash, the Stars have been bolstered by the comeback of Marcus Stoinis who has been released from his ODI duties. Dan Worral is the other addition to the 13-member squad. They replace Sam Harper and Cameron Gannon.
Perth Scorchers: The Scorchers have kept it very simple ahead of the big game, going in with the same squad.

Trivia:
The Stars enjoy a 6-4 lead over the Scorchers, having won their last three encounters. However, the Scorchers have never lost any of their three semifinals played at the WACA. This also happens to be the fifth time that these two sides would face off in a semifinal.

Squads:

Melbourne Stars: David Hussey (c), Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Jackson Coleman, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Kevin Pietersen, Rob Quiney, Marcus Stoinis, Luke Wright, Dan Worrall.

Perth Scorchers: Adam Voges (c), Ashton Agar, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Hilton Cartwright, Michael Klinger, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Cameron Valente, Sam Whiteman.

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