Stay updated with the latest news and broadcast information as the Renegades and Heat kick off their BBL|15 seasons in Geelong.
Match Information
Teams: Melbourne Renegades vs Brisbane Heat
Event: Match 2, KFC BBL|15
Venue: GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Date: Monday, December 15. Bat flip at 6:30 PM AEDT, first ball at 7:15 PM AEDT
Viewing Options: Channel Seven, 7plus, Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports
Audio Broadcasting: ABC, SEN Radio. Listen live with no delays via Cricket Radio on the CA Live app. More info here.
Ticket Purchase: Tickets available here.
Live Updates: Check Match Centre.
Post-Match Highlights: Visit cricket.com.au, the CA Live app, or the Big Bash app.
Match Officials: Phil Gillespie and Sam Nogajski (on-field), Ben Treloar (third umpire), Daryl Brigham (fourth umpire), Kent Hannam (match referee).
Team Squads
Melbourne Renegades: Jason Behrendorff, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Caleb Jewell, Hassan Khan, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake, Muhammad Rizwan (wk), Gurinder Sandhu, Tim Seifert, Matthew Spoors, Will Sutherland (c), Andrew Tye.
The rejuvenated Renegades will take the field featuring star international Muhammad Rizwan alongside former Scorchers players Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye, enhancing their bowling strength. Andrew Tye has stepped in for the injured Tom Rogers, while Matthew Spoors joins as a late addition. Caleb Jewell will don Renegades colors for the first time after moving from the Hurricanes, and promising talents Ollie Peake and Harry Dixon are set to play significant roles this season.
Brisbane Heat: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Paddy Dooley, Liam Haskett, Lachlan Hearne, Nathan McSweeney (c), Colin Munro, Oli Patterson, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth.
Nathan McSweeney will assume the role of stand-in captain for the Heat’s opening match in BBL|15. While the Heat welcome the addition of star Shaheen Afridi, they face challenges due to injuries, losing Matthew Kuhnemann (side strain) and Tom Alsop (knee soreness), who join Spencer Johnson and Callum Vidler on the injury list. Local replacements Paddy Dooley and Liam Haskett have been recruited, while Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Michael Neser are occupied with Ashes commitments for Australia.
Player Highlights
Muhammad Rizwan (Renegades): The Pakistani wicketkeeper-bat offers valuable stability at the top of the order. With a T20 batting average of 43 and three centuries to his name, this season will mark Rizwan’s debut in the Big Bash.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Heat): The gifted left-arm pacer makes his BBL debut on Monday. With an impressive record of 334 wickets in 239 T20 games, Afridi is a key acquisition for the Heat after losing Spencer Johnson to a season-ending injury.
Local Insights
Quick Stats
- The Melbourne Renegades have claimed victory in their last two encounters against Brisbane Heat at GMHBA Stadium.
- If selected, Xavier Bartlett will mark his 50th Big Bash match for Brisbane Heat.
- Among fast bowlers, Andrew Tye (29) and Jason Behrendorff (28) rank second and third for the most wickets against Brisbane Heat, though these stats were recorded during their time with Perth Scorchers.
What’s at Stake?
Both teams are eager to kick off the season strongly after narrowly missing out on finals last year. The highlight will be the exciting showdown between star draft picks Muhammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
