Check out all the Preview Stats and AI Predictive Form Guide for 20th Match – Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars, to be played on the 2nd of January, 2026 at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

Points Table

Match Details:

Date: Friday, 2nd January 2026.

Venue: Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

Start Time: 08:15 AM GMT | 01:45 PM IST | 06:15 PM Local.

Current Form:

Brisbane Heat:

The Brisbane Heat were consigned to their third defeat this season on the NYE game against the Adelaide Strikers and will hope for a better showing in the next five games to make it to the playoffs.

Matthew Renshaw and Max Bryant have been their best batters, scoring runs consistently while their bowling has seen Jack Wildermuth excel alongside Xavier Bartlett and young Tom Balkin has made an impact.

Melbourne Stars:

The Melbourne Stars are flying along this season, with four wins in their four games so far and are the only team to not have dropped a game so far this season.

Sam Harper has been impressive with the bat with contributions from Kellaway, Clarke and Stoinis, but their job has been done by an incredible bowling attack with Rauf, Curran and Siddle all dominant.

Batting Stats T20

Players to Watch:

Brisbane Heat:

Jack Wildermuth – opening the batting, Jack Wildermuth has scored 130 runs at an average of 32.5 while striking at 152.94 and has taken eight wickets at 22.87, striking once every 14.2 balls.

Matthew Renshaw – the pick of the batters for the Brisbane Heat, Renshaw has scored 202 runs in five games at 40.40, striking at 165.57 and has been their leading run-scorer so far.

Tom Balkin – the young quick has been impressive so far, having bowled 5.5 overs, he has taken three wickets at 15.66, striking once every 11.6 balls and has bowled at speeds upwards of 140kph.

Melbourne Stars:

Sam Harper – the leading run-scorer for the Melbourne Stars this season, Sam Harper has scored 194 runs at 194 and has struck at 157.72 in his three innings and looks to have broken through.

Tom Curran – after a tough previous season in the Big Bash League, Curran is showing his value with nine wickets in four games, averaging just 12 runs per wicket and has struck once every 10 balls.

Marcus Stoinis – the captain has taken seven wickets at 13, going at 7.58 runs per over and has struck once every 10.2 balls and has scored 94 runs with the bat, striking at 177.35 and is yet to be dismissed.

Wicket Takers T20

Head-to-Head (Last 5 Matches):

  • Brisbane Heat – 4 wins

  • Melbourne Stars – 1 win

The Melbourne Stars have only managed to win in the most recent outing against the Brisbane Heat with the Heat having triumphed four times so far. This could be a contest in favour of the Stars though, with recent form having been contrasting.

Venue Stats – Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane (2022-2025):

Average 1st Innings Score:

  • 2022 – 164.33

  • 2023 – 185.83

  • 2024 – 145.60

  • 2025 – 168.50

Bowling Averages and Economy Rates:

Wickets Percentage based on Innings:

Wickets Per Innings:

Wickets per Phase:

  • Powerplay (Overs 1–6): 1.84 wickets

  • Middle Overs (Overs 7–15): 2.34 wickets

  • Death Overs (Overs 16–20): 2.57 wickets

There are a lot of runs to be had at The Gabba with the average first innings score this year having been 169, with the conditions batting friendly. There is a significant advantage in batting first here, with 64% of the games here won by sides that bat first.

The previous game here has knocked the numbers for the bowlers hard, but the fast bowlers still remain a lot more successful, striking once every 15.9 balls and average 23.35 runs per wicket, while the spinners have a much tougher time, averaging 32.55 per wicket and strike once every 24.8 balls.

Most 6’s T20

Squads:

Brisbane Heat:

Nathan McSweeney ©, Jimmy Peirson (WK), Tom Alsop (WK), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Lachlan Hearne, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Oli Patterson, Matthew Renshaw, Callum Vidler, Hugh Weibgen and Jack Wildermuth.

Melbourne Stars:

Marcus Stoinis ©, Joe Clarke (WK), Sam Harper (WK), Hilton Cartwright, Campbell Kellaway, Tom Curran, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Tom Rogers, Austin Anzelark, Scott Boland, Haris Rauf, Liam Hatcher, Hamish McKenzie, Peter Siddle, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson and Tom Whitney.

Match Prediction – Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars

Cricket Match Predictions – PrePlay

Who will win the toss? — Brisbane Heat

Who will win the match? — Melbourne Stars

Top Batter (Runs Scored) — Matthew Renshaw (Brisbane Heat), Sam Harper (Melbourne Stars)

Top Bowler (Wickets Taken) — Tom Balkin (Brisbane Heat), Peter Siddle (Melbourne Stars)

Most Sixes — Matthew Renshaw (Brisbane Heat), Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars)

Player of the Match — Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)

Team Scores Batting First — Brisbane Heat 150+, Melbourne Stars 160+

Live Cricket Streaming Big Bash League 2025-26 – The live cricket streaming page which enables you to watch live cricket – Geo-restrictions apply

*NB these predictions may be changed nearer the start of the match once the final starting teams have been announced and we will be running ‘In-Play’ features, so stay tuned.

Also, the predictions and picks are formulated from the stats and information sourced and compiled from AI and Stats experts – Always remember, when the fun stops… STOP

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