BBL knockout: Brisbane flair up against slick Sixers

It's a battle of two teams who took different routes on their way to the knockout phase of the tournament. The franchise from Brisbane, Heat, took the positive approach from their captain, Brendon McCullum and star batsman, Chris Lynn, as they blasted their opponents out of the park with sheer aggression. It was one-dimensional cricket, thrill-a-minute stuff and it was entertaining to the core. One after another, opponents fell prey to the dynamic duo and they became the first team to book their place in the knockouts with plenty of time to spare.

On the other hand, the Sixers took the arduous route to the semifinal. They began their campaign with a convincing victory over cross-town rivals, Thunder, but then succumbed to a humiliating loss at the hands of the Hobart Hurricanes. The pattern remained the same throughout the rest of their campaign and only a last gasp victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) against the Melbourne Stars guaranteed them qualification - as the third placed team in the table.

While Brisbane started off on a high, the loss of Lynn, first to national duty and then to a neck injury, put him out of action for the rest of the tournament, which has somewhat reduced their potency. They had ensured a home semifinal, but then went on to lose a last-over thriller to Melbourne Renegades, losing three wickets off the last three balls of the match. Will that result deflate them? Not likely, but the team will need to find a new hero to make up for the absent Lynn. McCullum continues to rack up the runs at a great rate, but he has lacked support. Joe Burns has hit some late form and will be tasked with the job of guiding the middle order.

Bowling has been Brisbane's Achilles heels this season, with the team sorely missing the services of Samuel Badree. The leg-break bowler was passed fit ahead of the team's final game against the Renegades, but wasn't risked. He should be in a straightforward pick for the semis and will partner the impressive Mitchell Swepson in a two-pronged spin attack. With 13 wickets, Mark Steketee, has been their best pacer right through the season and he will be expected to deliver the goods along with the big-match performer, Ben Cutting.

With a home-crowd backing them to the hilt, Heat should start the semifinal as the favourites, but if there's one team that has the ability to overcome all odds, it's the Sydney Sixers. Still struggling to be at their best, the Sixers were the first team to stop Heat's resurgent run this season. With 250 runs, Daniel Hughes has been their lead batsman - the only Sixers batsman in the top-15 top-scorers list.

With a middle order that's stacked with quality, it's only expected that the star-studded Sixers batsmen will come to the party during the crunch knockout phase of the tournament. While batting has blown hot and cold, bowling has been Sydney's biggest strength. With 16 wickets, Sean Abbott has been the leading wicket-taker in the sixth edition of the Big Bash, wile Ben Dwarshius isn't far too behind with 12.

When: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers, 2nd Semifinal, 18.40 Local time, 2.10 PM IST

Where: The Gabba, Brisbane

What to expect: A sunny day is in the offing with light winds blowing across the ground. The maximum temperature is expected to over around 32 degrees Celsius.

Team News

Heat have announced a 13-man squad with Samuel Badree back after recovering sufficiently recovering from a grade one hamstring strain. The West Indies leg-break bowler will replace Nick Buchanan, who has been left out of the squad.

The top and middle order batting debacles over the last couple of games have forced the Sixers to boost their batting with Jordan Silk added as the 13th member in place of Will Somerville.

Teams:

Brisbane Heat: Brendon McCullum (c), Jimmy Peirson (wk), Sam Heazlett, Alex Ross, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Marcus Labuschagne, Jack Wildermuth, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Josh Lalor, Alex Doolan

Sydney Sixers: Daniel Hughes, Michael Lumb, Colin Munro, Moises Henriques (c), Nick Maddinson, Brad Haddin (wk), Johan Botha, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Doug Bollinger, Jordan Silk