BBL7 - Game 2 - Heat v Stars Preview (Plus The Lurker's 10 Unit Bank)

Brisbane Heat (0-0) v Melbourne Stars (0-0) - The Gabba
 
Head to Head History - Brisbane Heat 4, Melbourne Stars 2
 
Last 5 - Brisbane Heat 4, Melbourne Stars 1
 
Brisbane Heat 13 Man Squad -Brendon McCullum (c), Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Sam Heazlett, Shadab Khan, Josh Lalor, Chris Lynn, Jimmy Peirson, Alex Ross, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson.
 
Melbourne Stars 13 Man Squad - John Hastings (c), Michael Beer, Scott Boland, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Glenn Maxwell, Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Marcus Stoinis,  Luke Wright (Eng), Adam Zampa
 
Preview - The Heat and Stars lock horns in an explosive BBL7 match-up at the Gabba on Wednesday, with both sides keen to kick off their campaign with a win. Both sides were relatively successful in BBL6, however the bitter taste of being beaten Semi-finalists would have lingered over the off-season. The Heat led the competition for much of BBL6, before finishing second in the regular season and losing a thrilling semi-final to the Sydney Sixers. The Stars made the Semi-Finals for the sixth year running, however were blown away by the Scorchers in Perth, as that elusive BBL title continued to elude the franchise. Overall the Heat has dominated the Stars of late, winning 4 from the past 5 match ups, as well as 4 from 6 overall. 
 
Big Batting Battle - Brendon McCullum vs Kevin Pietersen - It is impossible to go past two former giants of the International game, and the two big overseas imports for both franchises. These guys brought so much to BBL6, not only with their outstanding batting but their personalities and the insight they gave to the viewers through being mic'd up. Quite simply, they are box office cricketers, and whoever comes out on top on a Gabba wicket likely to be hard and true, could well determine the outcome of the game. 
 
Big Bowling Battle - Mitchell Swepson v Adam Zampa - This will be a great contest between two of Australia's emerging white ball leg spinners. Adam Zampa has held a mortgage on the Australian T20 spin bowling spot, however Mitchell Swepson will be gunning for him this campaign. The Gabba can be a tough spot to bowl spin with its shorter straight boundaries, so these guys will need all their guile here. 
 
Ground Dynamic - The Gabba has been one of the top highest scoring grounds in the BBL over the past six years. The combination of the short straight boundaries, and the hard and true surface, means batsmen can hit through the line, enjoying the extra pace and bounce on offer. If the wicket is a belter, the team batting first will be looking for a score north of 180 if they want to be considered favourites heading into the second innings. Expect the faster bowlers to bowl the ball into the wicket, trying to defend the much longer square boundaries. 
 
THE LURKER's PICK (0-1) - Brisbane Heat - "I'm still fuming about last night with the Sixers losing to those paddlers. I take the Heat tonight, on their home deck, The Lurker doesn't start 0-2" 
 
The LURKER'S 10-UNIT BANK (Running Tally = -10 Units) 

(Tab Odds)
 
5.5 units on the Heat to win @ $2.00

2 units on the Heat to hit more horns than the Stars @ 1.90
 
1.5 units on PEIRSON to score 25 or more @ $2.35
 
1 unit on Stars High Bat/Bowl double of MAXWELL/FAULKNER @ $20