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Brisbane Heat take on Sydney Sixers in the 2021-22 Big Bash season.
The game is scheduled for 12:05am local time (2:05am GMT) on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.
The game will be held at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Sydney Sixers have seen their form tail off towards the end of the group stages. In seven BBL11 matches in 2021, the three-time champions won six and were defeated just once; in 2022, they've been beaten three times in their past five matches (their New Year's Day fixture against Melbouren Renegades was rained off).
However, they have it all to play for at the Gabba. The Sixers are level on points with Sydney Thunder but sit second due to their superior net run rate. The second-placed side at the end of the group stages plays the first-placed side (Perth Scorchers) in the qualifier, with an automatic spot in the final at stake. The Sixers, therefore, will be aiming for maximum points against Brisbane Heat.
Speaking of the Heat, they're in a battle of their own to avoid the wooden spoon, something they haven't won since 2014-15. The BBL02 champions have won just three matches from a possible 13 this season and are on a five-match losing streak.
In the reverse fixture, Sydney Sixers sealed a two-wicket win off the final ball of the match.
Nathan Lyon has been named in Sydney Sixers' squad for this match [Mark Kolbe/Getty Images]
Sydney Sixers will be hoping Josh Philippe rediscovers his touch with the bat heading into the business end of their title defence. The opener has scored 406 runs (four half-centuries) at a strike rate of 145.51 in BBL11 but only one of those fifties has come in 2022.
The return of Nathan Lyon is a boost for their bowling line-up. The Sixers have been decimated by injuries this season, with Tom Curran and Ben Manenti suffering season-ending injuries and Steve O'Keefe restricted to just seven matches.
Despite not playing a T20 match since February 2020, Lyon has taken 41 wickets in 33 Big Bash appearances and has an economy of 6.97 in the competition.
For Brisbane Heat, Max Bryant will be looking to end the tournament on a high after smashing 81 runs off 56 balls against Perth Scorchers. The 22-year-old had scored just 92 runs in his previous eight innings but made light work of a bowling attack which included Jason Behrendorff, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye and Mitchell Marsh.
With the ball, Mark Steketee has been very effective in his seven matches, taking 11 wickets - if he had been available for the entire tournament, the Heat might be in a better situation.
Alongside (most likely) Neser, James Bazley (12 wickets), Matthew Kuhnemann (six wickets) and Mitch Swepson (five wickets) he will be tasked with keeping Philippe, Dan Christian and Moises Henriques quiet.
Umpires will appear here when available.
Rain could be an issue for the fixture with light showers punctuated by sunny intervals expected all day in Brisbane.
Brisbane Heat: Tom Abell (Fakhar Zaman, three games from January 6), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Tom Cooper, Ben Duckett, Liam Guthrie, Sam Heazlett, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne (Nathan McSweeney), Chris Lynn, Michael Neser (Cameron Gannon), Jimmy Pierson, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Will Prestwidge, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson (Hugo Burdon), Jack Wildermuth
Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques, Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird (Lawrence Neil-Smith), Daniel Christian, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Hughes, Chris Jordan (first five matches), Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon (Nick Winter), Ben Manenti, Stephen O'Keefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, James Vince, Shadab Khan
Marnus Labuschagne could return for Brisbane Heat [Mark Kolbe/Getty Images]
Brisbane Heat: Max Bryant, Chris Lynn, Ben Duckett, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Heazlett, Jimmy Peirson, James Bazley, Michael Neser, Mark Steketee, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Swepson
Sydney Sixers: Jack Edwards, Josh Philippe, Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, Jordan Silk, Sean Abbott, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Steve O'Keefe
Sydney Sixers are the favourites to win this match, with Oddschecker offering odds of 4/7 in favour of the defending champions. Brisbane Heat are available at 11/7.
Sydney Sixers have a pretty strong squad back for their final group match and everything to play for. Sydney Sixers to win.
Sky Sports have bought the rights for the competition through to 2025, and they will broadcast all 61 games in the UK.
Fox Sports and Seven Network both have television rights in Australia: subscription broadcaster Fox show every game, while free-to-air Seven will simulcast 45 matches.
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra will have ball-by-ball radio coverage of the tournament for UK listeners.
Where can I watch the competition elsewhere in the world?
North America: Willow
MENA: beIN Sports
Sub Saharan Africa: SuperSport
Indian Subcontinent: Sony
New Zealand: Sky Sport
BIG BASH TEAM GUIDES (open in external window in app)
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