Derby set to light up Melbourne

The Renegades, led by reigning MVP Aaron Finch, will be out for revenge after the Stars won the inaugural derby in a rain-affected match at the MCG in January by 11 runs.

The weather won’t be an issue tonight with 29 degrees forecast and the Etihad Stadium roof there to ensure a full match.

The standard of tonight’s clash will be high with several world-class players facing off, the Renegades boasting leading Test wicket-taker Muthiah Muralidaran and South African saviour Faf Du Plessis, while the Stars have the number one T20 paceman in the world, Lasith Malinga, and English all-rounder Luke Wright.

The rivalry between the two sides continued to build over the off-season with the MCG-based Stars poaching Brad Hodge and Glenn Maxwell from the Renegades.

The game will be the first as Stars captain for Victorian legend Shane Warne and he has promised to show the fans tactics they have never seen before.

“I’m going to be super-aggressive from the start – it will be entertaining for people at the ground and on TV,” Warne told News Limited after Tuesday’s intra-squad practice match.

“One thing I’ll have for you will be captaincy things.

“I’ve got a few beauties I’ve been working on and we took four wickets in six overs (in a scratch match on Monday).

“I’m challenging the thinking of T20, coming up with new ideas. I’ve challenged all our bowlers about certain things; it’s just whether they think they can do it.”

The match will begin at Etihad Stadium at 7.00pm with patrons encouraged to arrive early with a mind-blowing freestyle moto x stunt show to take place on the ground at 6.30pm.

The daredevil Renegades Freestyle Moto X Team has been hand-picked from the world’s best freestyle riders to provide an extreme edge to the season-opening clash.

To purchase online tickets for tonight’s Big Melbourne Derby, click here.