SIX VS REN MATCH 30

Well, the inevitable has happened. Wthout a single ball being bowled, the MATCH HAS BEEN ABANDONED due to rain. The two teams will be awarded 1.5 points each. The action continues though in the BBL as we have two matches lined up on Super Sunday, 2nd January. Melbourne Stars will face Perth Scorchers at 10.00 am IST (4.30 am GMT) and then, Sydney Thunder will take on Adelaide Strikers at 1.45 pm IST (8.15 am GMT). Make sure you join us for both these games. Goodbye for now!

UPDATE 2.31 pm IST (9.01 am GMT) - As expected, it has started raining again and the covers are back on. Seems like the rain gods are enjoying the new year but not the cricket fanatics on the planet.

UPDATE 2.17 pm IST (8.47 am GMT) - Some good news, we can see the covers coming off but there are still some damp patches. It is overcast and dark at the moment and rain is expected anytime again. Let us hope it stays away now. Still awaiting any official news.

UPDATE 2 pm IST (8.30 am GMT) - The good news is that it has stopped raining. We can see the players having a walk around the ground. The water has accumulated on the covers and the groundstaff are working hard to clear. Both the captains are having a chat with the officials. Let's wait for some official news.

UPDATE 1.55 pm IST (8.25 am GMT) - We have some bad news for you early on. The conditions were overcast and it has started raining at Coffs-Harbour. The covers are on for now. Stay tuned for further updates.

Sydney Sixers (X-factor players) - Todd Murphy and Jackson Bird.

Melbourne Renegades (X-factor players) - Jonathan Merlo and Zak Evans.

Sydney Sixers (Playing XI) - Josh Philippe (WK), James Vince, Moises Henriques (C), Daniel Hughes, Jordan Silk, Dan Christian, Sean Abbott, Hayden Kerr, Shadab Khan, Ben Dwarshuis and Steve O'Keefe (In for Lloyd Pope).

Melbourne Renegades (Playing XI) - Mackenzie Harvey, Sam Harper (WK), Aaron Finch, James Seymour (In for Nic Maddinson), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mohammad Nabi, Will Sutherland (In for James Pattinson), Jack Prestwidge, Kane Richardson (C), Reece Topley and Zahir Khan.

TOSS - Sydney Sixers win the bat flip and they elect to BOWL first.

Melbourne Renegades have just one win from six and they are very close on the verge of being out of the knockouts race. They need something to give here and against a Sixers' side high on confidence, the Renegades do need a miracle. Experienced campaigner, Aaron Finch will be looking to provide some inspiration to this side tonight. Toss and team news in a bit.

Sydney Sixers are the reigning champions and they are the reigning champions for a very big reason, that is they just find a way to win matches even when they aren't at their best. In their last encounter, they came back from the clutches of death to win an epic encounter on the very last delivery of the match. The Sixers now sit at the top of the pile and the form Sean Abbott is in right now, it is scary for any opposition.

Hello and a very Happy New Year to all our viewers and to their families! Hope the new year brings a lot of happiness and a lot more cricketing action for everyone to enjoy. It's a new day and a new year but the cricketing action in the Big Bash League continues with Sydney Sixers taking on Melbourne Renegades in match number 30. Two teams having contrasting seasons so far and the Renegades sure are desperate for a win here.

... MATCH DAY ...

The matches of the Big Bash League are coming thick and fast and it is time for game number 30 which will be played between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades. This is a clash between two sides who have had a completely contrasting story so far in this competition. The Sixers are at the top of the points table while the Renegades are languishing at the bottom. The latter have now lost five games in a row and are in a spot of bother as nothing seems to be going their way at the moment. Their bowling has been pretty decent, apart from the previous game but it is their batting unit which needs to step up if they are to win any games going ahead in this competition. They rely heavily on Aaron Finch and Nic Maddinson at the top and their lower order batters have hardly contributed for them which has cost them. Sydney Sixers, on the other hand, are a very good side on paper and they have proved it on the field as well by winning six out of the seven games. They are coming into this encounter having won four games in a row and would be high on confidence. They are a team which does not rely only on one or two individuals but each and every player has contributed in some way or the other. Their previous game, against Brisbane Heat was a close one but it was the all-round brilliance of Sean Abbott which saw them through. The Sixers are on a roll at the moment and things get even harder for the Renegades as they face the table-toppers in a very crucial game. Will the Renegades get back to winning ways? Or will the Sixers carry on with their winning momentum and make it five wins in a row? We shall find that soon.