Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat, WBBLT20, Today Match Prediction 20 October 2023

MRW vs BHW Match Prediction & Analysis

The Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is set to return for its 9th edition, featuring a total of 57 T20 matches. The tournament will take place in Australia, running from the 19th of October to the 2nd of December. WBBL 9 will maintain the double round-robin format, ensuring that all eight teams compete in 14 group matches—two against each of their rivals. The season opener will feature a clash between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars at the North Sydney Oval in Sydney. We will, however, discuss the second match of WBBL 9 that will take place on October 20 between Melbourne Renegades Women and Brisbane Heat Women.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

MRW

BHW

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Melbourne Renegades Preview

Melbourne Renegades Women, who had a strong runner-up finish in the 2021-22 season, faced a rather dismal campaign in the following year, finishing the tournament second to last. Their campaign was marred by the unavailability of key players, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jess Duffin, and the unfortunate season-ending injury to Molineux.  In of batting, the team struggled to amass runs, as only two players maintained averages exceeding 20 for the season, with none suring the 27-run mark.

Hayley Matthews will once again have to take on the responsibility of leading the batting unit. With 253 runs in 14 innings, Matthews stood out as the leading run-getter for her team last season. She has been in sensational form of late and has just smashed 310 runs in three matches for West Indies against Australia just recently.

Harmanpreet's comeback, following her standout performance as the player of the tournament in the 2021–22 season, is a huge boost for the Renegades.

Let's not forget about Tammy Beaumont, who has been setting the cricketing world on fire in England this season, etching her name in history as the first woman to record a century in the Hundred.

Matthews will also be useful with the ball. She has been in good wicket-taking form recently, and her off-breaks will be pretty handy on this wicket. 

In the absence of Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck, Sarah Coyte will have to take up the responsibility of being the wicket-taker with the new ball. She had a successful last season, ending with 10 wickets at an average of 25.70.

Melbourne Renegades Predicted Playing XI:

Tammy Beaumont, Hayley Matthews (c), Josie Dooley (wk), Harmanpreet Kaur, Courtney Webb, Jess Duffin, Ella Hayward, Georgia Prestwidge, Sarah Coyte, Georgia Wareham, Ellie Falconer

Melbourne Renegades Actual Playing XI:

Courtney Webb, Jess Duffin, Tammy Beaumont, Ella Hayward, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Erica Kershaw, Josephine Dooley, Georgia Prestwidge, Georgia Wareham, Sarah Coyte

Brisbane Heat Preview

Brisbane Heat Women, coming off a tough loss to the eventual champions Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger final, have set their sights on a long-awaited title win. They are relying on their youthful squad to help them achieve their first championship since their back-to-back triumphs in WBBL 04 and 05.

The Heat have meticulously assembled a team boasting impressive batting depth, recognizing that in a fiercely competitive environment, versatility is key. They've ensured a wide range of players who can step in as per the team's requirements at various junctures. Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris lead the top-order, with Mignon du Preez and Bess Heath complementing them effectively. Redmayne topped the team’s batting charts last year, with 354 runs in 12 games. 

Keep an eye on the promising 20-year-old Georgia Voll. Voll is an extraordinary talent. In the first round of the Women's National Cricket League last year, she scored 140-odd runs and followed it up with a solid 120 in the recent T20 Max final. Additionally, her off-spin abilities have become a valuable asset, making her well-prepared for an exciting summer season.

While their bowling attack might not be as formidable as that of some other top-tier teams, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding left-arm fast bowler Lucy Hamilton, who previously represented Australia in the Under-19 World Cup this year. In addition, England's leg-spinner Sarah Glenn is set to take the reins early in the season, covering for Amelia Kerr, who is currently representing New Zealand on their South African tour.

Brisbane Heat Predicted Playing XI:

Georgia Redmayne (wk), Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Amelia Kerr, Mignon du Preez, Laura Harris, Jess Jonassen (c), Charli Knott, Courtney Sippel, Nicola Hancock, Lucy Hamilton

Brisbane Heat Actual Playing XI:

Georgia Voll, Mignon du Preez, Mikayla Hinkley, Charli Knott, Grace Harris, Bess Heath, Georgia Redmayne, Courtney Sippel, Jess Jonassen, Nicola Hancock, Sarah Glenn

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Junction Oval is usually friendly for batters. The ball comes on to the bat at a nice height, and batters can score runs on all sides of the wicket. Like most Australian pitches, this one too has something on offer for the seamers. They will get consistent bounce throughout and should be able to extract seam movement off the surface with the new ball. 

The weather in Melbourne will be cloudy and very warm.

MRW vs BHW Pitch Report

The average first innings score at the Junction Oval is 145 in women’s T20s. The highest total posted at the venue is 192-4 by Perth Scorchers Women against Melbourne Renegades Women last year. The team batting first must look to set a target of around 160-170 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

Junction Oval is usually a good chasing ground, and teams usually look to bowl first here. However, since this will be the first match of the season to be played here, the toss-winning team might be tempted to bat first as the wicket might be great for batting earlier on.