The Sydney Sixers will take on the Hobart Hurricanes in the eighth match of Big Bash League 2021 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, 11th December. The Sixers are off to a flying start, winning their opening two games. They beat a formidable Melbourne Stars team by 152 runs before beating Hobart Hurricanes by 14 runs. Josh Phillippe was the Man of the Match in their first game for his 47-ball 83. James Vince and Moises Henriques also made notable contributions with the bat in hand. Steve O’Keefe and Sean Abbot were the stars with the ball, claiming four and three wickets, respectively. In their second game, they beat the Hobart Hurricanes in a closely contested match. Moises Henriques was the star with the bat, scoring a 48-ball 73. Tom Curran played a decent cameo scoring a 21-ball 27. Defending a modest 145-run target, Tom Curran (3-27) and Hayden Kerr (2-15) provided crucial breakthroughs. Chris Jordan, Ben Manenti, and Steve O’Keefe claimed a scalp apiece while keeping a check on the flow of runs. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have had a rather disappointing start to their campaign, losing their tournament opener to a formidable Sydney Sixers outfit by 14-runs. Bowling first, they restricted an explosive Sixers batting lineup to a modest 144-run total. Tom Rogers (3-28) and Nathan Ellis (2-34) were the stars with the ball. Joel Paris, Tim David, and Sandeep Lamichane claimed a wicket apiece. Chasing a modest total, the Hurricanes’ faltered as they fell short of their target. Peter Handscomb (31-ball 47), Matthew Wade (18-ball 20), and Caleb Jewell (11-ball 20) played key roles with the bat. Sydney Sixers are placed at the top spot in the Big Bash League 2021-22 points table with wins from both their matches of the league. The team has 7 points. Moises Henriques is the top run-scorer for Sydney Sixers with 149 runs at a strike rate of 173. He has struck 14 fours and 5 sixes. Josh Philippe has also made 88 runs at a strike rate of 151. Steve O’Keefe has been the best bowler for Sydney Sixers and has picked up 5 wickets while bowling at an average of 8 and an economy rate of 5.25. Hobart Hurricanes are placed at the 7th spot in the Big Bash League 2021-22 points table with a loss from their first match of the league. Peter Handscomb is the top run-scorer for Hobart Hurricanes with 47 runs at a strike rate of 151. He has struck 3 fours and 2 sixes. D’Arcy Short has also made 21 runs at a strike rate of 58. TS Rogers has been the best bowler for Hobart Hurricanes and has picked up 3 wickets while bowling at an average of 9 and an economy rate of 7.00. SYDNEY SIXERS PREVIEW The defending champions Sydney Sixers are coming on the back of a thumping 152 runs win in the last game. James Vince and Josh Philippe scored 500+ runs each last season, whereas they started with a bang in Big Bash League 11 too. The excellent form of captain Moises Henriques is also a huge boost for the side. In bowling, Steve O’Keefe and Sean Abbott combined for seven wickets in the last game, whereas Tom Curran and Chris Jordan are also in the ranks. The Sixers are expected to go unchanged in this game. HOBART HURRICANES PREVIEW The Hurricanes will miss both of their imports, Jordan Thompson and Harry Brooks in this game. Scott Boland is unavailable due to Australia-A duties, whereas Ben McDermott and Riley Meredith are nursing injuries. The opening combo of Matthew Wade and D’arcy Short will be vital, whereas Tim David will play the role of a finisher. Nathan Ellis, who scalped 20 wickets last season will lead the pace-attack, whereas Sandeep Lamichhane is the star spinner. SYDNEY SIXERS VS HOBART HURRICANES MATCH DETAILS: Match: Sydney Sixers vs Hobart Hurricanes, Match 08 Big Bash League 2021-22. Date: 11th December 2021. Time: 1:05 PM IST. Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. SYDNEY SIXERS VS HOBART HURRICANES PITCH REPORT The surface at the Sydney Cricket Grounds is a good one for batting. The batters can play their shots freely and hit through the line. The bowlers will need to bowl in the right areas to keep the scoring rate under control. The team that wins the toss could look to chase on this surface. The team that bats first will need to get as close as possible to the 180-run mark. SYDNEY SIXERS VS HOBART HURRICANES WEATHER REPORT Overcast conditions are expected to be a feature on matchday. The temperature is expected to range between 14 and 20 degrees Celsius. No rain interruptions are expected during the day. SYDNEY SIXERS VS HOBART HURRICANES PROBABLE XIS SYDNEY SIXERS

• Sean Abbott
• Jackson Bird
• Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies)
• Dan Christian
• Tom Curran (England)
• Ben Dwarshuis
• Jack Edwards
• Mickey Edwards
• Moises Henriques
• Daniel Hughes
• Hayden Kerr
• Nathan Lyon
• Ben Manenti
• Stephen O’Keefe
• Josh Philippe
• Lloyd Pope
• Jordan Silk
• James Vince (England)

HOBART HURRICANES

• Scott Boland
• Harry Brook (England)
• Tim David
• Nathan Ellis
• Peter Handscomb
• Caleb Jewell
• Josh Kann
• Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)
• Ben McDermott
• Riley Meredith
• Mitch Owen
• Joel Paris
• Will Parker
• Tom Rogers
• D’Arcy Short
•  Jordan Thompson (England)
• Matthew Wade
• Mac Wright

PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS MOISES HENRIQUES – SYDNEY SIXERS   The Sydney Sixers skipper has led his side from the front and played match-winning knocks in his first two outings this season. While Henriques slammed 76 runs against Melbourne stars, he scored 73 against Hurricanes. Hence, there’s no reason why the dasher can’t replicate his heroics. TOM CURRAN – SYDNEY SIXERS   As far as the bowling department is concerned, Tom Curran is likely to top the charts. The right-arm pacer was impressive in his side’s previous two outings. He took a match-winning three-wicket haul against Hurricanes in the previous game. Notably, Curran bowls a lot in death overs and the same gives him more chances of getting wickets. SYDNEY SIXERS VS HOBART HURRICANES MATCH PREDICTION Having won both their games so far, the Sixers are not only high on confidence, but also have the winning momentum. The Sixers are favorites to finish on top in this game. The Hurricanes batters will need to back their bowler’s performances.