Team news, key match-ups, TV and streaming information, weather forecast, odds, form rundown, umpire appointments, start times, venue and squad lists for the first game of the new BBL campaign
Sydney Sixers take on Melbourne Stars in the first game of the 2021-22 Big Bash season, the 11th BBL campaign in all.
The game is scheduled for a 7.35pm local time start. That's 8.35am GMT.
The game will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Well this is a mighty tricky question to ask, being the first game of the new tournament and all.
If you're going by last season's form, then obviously Sydney Sixers - who have won the last two BBL crowns - are the side to keep an eye on. But that doesn't mean all that much with a fresh slate in front of all eight teams in the competition.
In terms of individual T20 form, Melbourne Stars have several World Cup winners in their ranks - Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa form one heck of a homegrown spine for the Stars.
They will be hoping to improve on a pretty meagre showing in BBL10, when the men in green finished second from bottom.
Zampa is acutely aware of the need to improve.
"We had a pretty poor season last season, and it’s always about playing the right cricket at the right time," he said.
"We know we have the winning ability … I wouldn’t say we have championship DNA or anything like that. But I think as long as we are building into it nicely and we are playing good cricket at the right time, anything can happen."
Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell
Stars will be hoping for big things from their English import Joe Clarke at the top of the order.
Clarke bossed the T20 Blast in the last English summer, striking 408 runs at better than 180. He is not on the England radar, thanks in part to the sheer number of quality options available in white-ball cricket, and partly because of past indiscretions which took him out of the international reckoning for the best part of two years.
However, he is motivated to succeed after a taste of the BBL with Perth Scorchers in 2020-21, and seems in the mood for runs.
He told The Cricketer: "By playing franchise cricket and for Notts, I'm doing myself no harm. That's the aim really. I look at someone like Liam Livingstone, who wasn't part of it. But by playing franchise cricket and dominating, he's managed to find a role in that side."
Clarke's performance in the powerplay could set a platform for Maxwell, or leave Stars a little exposed. Not to throw any more pressure on the fella, but he's also got to keep wicket after Seb Gotch was ruled out of the tournament through injury.
"I see my role as an opening batter to make the most of those first six overs," he said.
"If that means 30 off 10 balls or the capability to get a hundred off 40 or 50 balls, then they are game-changing, team-winning knocks. That’s how I like to approach it."
Phil Gillespie and Michael Graham-Smith will be the standing umpires for this one.
Temperatures hover around 20 degrees during this one. Very little chance of rain.
Sydney Sixers: Moises Henriques, Sean Abbott, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Daniel Christian, Tom Curran, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Hughes, Chris Jordan, Hayden Kerr, Nathan Lyon, Ben Manenti, Stephen O'Keefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, James Vince
Melbourne Stars: Qais Ahmad, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Elliott, Syed Faridoun, Liam Hatcher, Clint Hinchcliffe, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Tom O’Connell, Sam Rainbird, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster, Adam Zampa
Sydney Sixers are defending champions
Sydney Sixers: Josh Phillipe, James Vince, Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques, Jordan Silk, Daniel Christian, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Maneti, Lawrence Neil-Smith
Melbourne Stars: Joe Clarke, Marcus Stoinis, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Beau Webster, Clint Hinchliffe, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Rainbird, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa
Melbourne Stars are a best priced 61/50 with Bet365 to claim the win in the opener, with Sydney Sixers generally favoured. Mansion Bet are offering 10/13 on a Sixers victory and there's not much better out there.
Sixers are without Jackson Bird, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Lyon and Sean Abbott for a combination of injury and international duty reasons. That makes their bowling a little more fragile, and particularly reliant on the English pair of Chris Jordan and Tom Curran. There are chances for the Stars here, and we're backing them.
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)
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.