Tale of the tape: Derby IV

The KFC T20 Big Bash League will re-ignite at the MCG tonight with the Big Melbourne Derby between the Stars and the Renegades.

Emotions boiled over last summer in front of a record Twenty20 crowd of 46,581 as the Renegades clinched a nine-wicket victory with seven balls to spare to secure a 2-1 lead in the cross-town rivalry.

With the fourth instalment poised to commence at 7.45pm this evening, Cricket Victoria has a look at the tale of the tape.

Melbourne Stars

Coach: Greg Shipperd
Captain: Cameron White
BBL|02: Fourth

The Stars have been the glamour team of the BBL since inception and have gone into each campaign as the pre-tournament favourites.

The pain of last season’s semi-final loss in Perth will stay with the majority of this year’s squad, with the MCG-based outfit desperate to make amends.

Former Australian Twenty20 skipper Cameron White resumes his captaincy tenure of the Stars following Shane Warne’s retirement, while bustling paceman Scott Boland has linked up with the squad after spending BBL|02 with the Hobart Hurricanes.

Having represented the Scorchers last summer, Marcus Stoinis rounds out the inclusions at the expense of Scott Henry.

Player to watch: Just nine days out from his 39^th birthday, Brad Hodge continues to set the benchmark for all batsmen to aspire to in the Twenty20 format. The Victorian legend currently sits second on the all-time Twenty20 run-scorers’ list with 5676 and can leapfrog Chris Gayle with a strong BBL|03. Having represented the Renegades during their inaugural season, Hodge will be intent on making a statement against his former team.

Spin-to-win: The retirement of the game’s most charismatic spinner has opened the door for Clive Rose to assume the mantle as the Stars’ number one spinner. Currently plying his trade with Tasmania, the left-arm spinner was impressive during the RYOBI One-Day Cup and is also more than handy with the bat and electric in the field. Rose could well be a trump card for the Stars during BBL|03.

X-Factor: Sri Lankan sling king Lasith Malinga usually has a permanent hold on this role, but with the excitement machine not poised to join the Stars until next round we’ve gone with Glenn Maxwell. The 25-year-old blasted the fastest one-day international half-century by an Australian courtesy of his 18-ball knock against India and justified his $1million price tag in the IPL by hammering 37 from 14 balls in the Champions League Final to help Mumbai claim victory.

Captain says: “It’ll be a hard-fought contest there is no doubt about that and everyone will be trying their absolute guts out to win every moment. And that’s where it will be and at the end of the day we’ll shake hands and walk off. I think the rivalry is great, it’s great for the Big Bash League that there is a strong rivalry in Melbourne.”

Big Melbourne Derby squad: Cameron White (c), Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Alexander Keath, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Clive Rose, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade and Luke Wright.   

Melbourne Renegades

Coach: Simon Helmot
Captain: Aaron Finch
BBL|02: Third

The Renegades captivated the BBL last summer as they clinched the minor premiership en route to their first appearance in the semi-finals.

Led brilliantly by Simon Helmot and Aaron Finch, Etihad Stadium became their fortress as the captain proved that not even the venue itself was safe from the balls he was launching into the air.

The Renegades have been the most active recruiters during the off-season signing Test superstars Peter Siddle and James Pattinson, as well as international guns Jos Buttler and Mohammad Hafeez.

Former under-19 Zimbabwe representative Solomon Mire has been promoted to the main list from his role as a Community Rookie following Dan Harris’ injury, while Jake Haberfield also adds depth on the fast-bowling front.

Player to watch: There hasn’t been much for England to cheer about this summer with the Ashes having already been returned after just 14 days of play, but hard-hitting middle-order batsman Jos Buttler may soon change that during his short stint with the Renegades. The English international boasts a strike rate of 148.95 in the shortest form of the game and was ultra-impressive during the recent ODI series against Australia with scores of 75, 65* and 42.

Spin-to-win: This is the Renegades’ modus operandi. With Muthiah Muralidaran, Fawad Ahmed and Aaron O’Brien all selected in their 13-man squad, don’t be surprised if the trio are unleashed against the Stars tonight as they attempt to suffocate the middle overs of the innings. Having spent much of BBL|02 as a spectator, Ahmed will be looking to make his mark after taking 3-25 in his most recent T20I for Australia.

X-Factor: It’s hard to look past the skipper. Aaron Finch was simply breathtaking against the Stars last summer as he bludgeoned 111* in the opening Derby before crunching 67 in the return bout to lead his team to back-to-back victories. Since then, he has established himself as one of Twenty20’s most destructive forces by posting a world-record 156 off 63 balls against England.

Captain says: “We know they’re a class side and with the players they have, they probably should have won two Big Bashes by now. They’ll be under a lot of pressure, they’ll be feeling it definitely right through their squad. We just go about our business, we fly under the radar. They do all the cool things – we don’t.”

Big Melbourne Derby squad: Aaron Finch (c), Fawad Ahmed, Jos Buttler, Tom Cooper, Alex Doolan, Jake Haberfield, Jayde Herrick, Muthiah Muralidaran, Peter Nevill, Aaron O’Brien, Nathan Rimmington, Ben Rohrer and Will Sheridan.