Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder Preview & Prediction

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THE FACTS

When is Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder taking place? Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder will take place on Saturday 8^th January, 2022 at 07:05 (UK)

Where is Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder taking place? Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder will take place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne

What is the expected weather for Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder? 20c in mostly cloudy skies

Where can I get tickets for Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder? Click here for the latest ticket information for Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder

What TV channel is Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder on in the UK? Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder will be televised live on Sky Sports

Where can I stream Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Melbourne Renegades vs Sydney Thunder live on Sky Go

THE TEAM NEWS

MELBOURNE RENEGADES

• Melbourne Renegades have taken full advantage of a fortunate set of circumstances with their last two opponents fielding a severely weakened side because of COVID-19 outbreaks and it has put them right back into contention for a spot in the next phase of the Big Bash League.
• After seeing off Melbourne Stars, the Renegades backed that up with a comfortable victory over Brisbane Heat last time out with Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh’s 96-run partnership doing the damage and that pair will be crucial once again along with key bower Kane Richardson.

SYDNEY THUNDER

• Sydney Thunder made it four successive wins in the BBL thanks to an eye-catching win over Perth Scorchers but their hopes of making a real challenge for the title will come under the microscope having lost two integral players.
• Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood have both now departed for international duty with England and having played crucial roles for the Thunder with more runs and the joint-most wickets for their side respectively, their absence could be hard-felt.

THE PREDICTION

This is an intriguing matchup between Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder with the former pulling themselves off the foot of the ladder with back-to-back successes. They have been aided by facing teams that have been far from full-strength so it will be interesting to see how they fare against a stronger Thunder side. They too will be without a couple of key players with English pair Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood unavailable because of international duty but they appear to have the depth to cope and they can extend their winning streak while also making it four wins in five meetings with the Renegades.