Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers: Big Bash Saturday preview

Sydney Sixers have won their last four Big Bash home meetings with Perth Scorchers and they are aiming to extend that impressive run at the SCG on Saturday.

The Sixers started the 2024/25 season with four straight victories, including home wins over Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars.

However, they have lost their last two completed matches and are missing English opener James Vince, who scored 40 and 101 not out in their first two home fixtures.

The Scorchers' hopes of a record-extending sixth title have been dented by back-to-back losses to the Renegades and Sydney Thunder and they have rested Australia's Twenty20 captain Mitchell Marsh for the SCG trip.

Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers betting preview

Sixers hope Smith return can galvanise batting unit

Sydney Sixers' leading runscorer James Vince has left the Big Bash but the hosts have unearthed a useful replacement in the shape of Steve Smith.

Fresh from the confirmation that he will captain the Test team on their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, Smith is set for his first appearance of the season for the Sixers.

He scored 101 in last month's third Test against India at the Gabba and followed up with a far more fluent 140 at the MCG, hitting three sixes.

Smith has been installed as 3.75 favourite to be the Sixers' Top Batter against Perth and there are not many other in-form players in their top order.

Vince made one fifty and one century in his six innings but Moises Henriques and Josh Philippe are the only other batters to score a half-century in the Sixers' six completed games.

In their last match against the Stars they limped to 9-140, chasing a modest target of 157, and hit only two sixes to their opponents' six.

Even without Marsh, the Scorchers have a powerful batting unit featuring Cooper Connolly, who has hit 14 sixes in seven innings this season, and Finn Allen, who cleared the ropes eight times in his last three games.

Number seven Ashton Agar clouted four maximums in his unbeaten 51 against the Renegades last time out and the Scorchers are 1.83 to hit the most sixes in Saturday's clash.

Powerful Perth pace attack poses serious threat

Perth Scorchers are 1.89 to inflict a rare home defeat on Sydney Sixers and their awesome pace attack could hold the key to success.

Youngster Mahli Beardman has been called into a Perth squad that also features Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Lance Morris and AJ Tye.

The four senior quicks all pose a significant threat to their hosts and Perth's Top Bowler market is a competitive heat with Behrendorff at 4.50, Morris at 4.50, Tye at 4.50 and Richardson at 4.75.

Left-armer Behrendorff has been a model of consistency this season and he looks a tempting bet at 2.37 to take two or more wickets.

He has achieved that feat in five of his last six matches including Tuesday's defeat to the Renegades, when he dismissed Tim Seifert and Jake Fraser-McGurk for ducks in the first over of the run-chase.

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Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers odds

Sydney Sixers - 1.93
Perth Scorchers - 1.89

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.