Melbourne Renegades host Hobart Hurricanes in the 8th match of Big Bash League 2025-26 at Simonds Stadium, Geelong, on December 21. Both teams seek a second win after mixed starts to the season. Renegades hold an edge with home advantage and recent momentum.
Renegades won their opener and boast a strong top order led by Tim Seifert‘s recent century, Josh Brown, and Mohammad Rizwan. Captain Will Sutherland anchors the all-round effort, backed by Jason Behrendorff‘s powerplay threat and Adam Zampa‘s spin. Hobart Hurricanes struggled wicketless with the ball in their last game and have never won at this venue. Nathan Ellis leads a pace-heavy attack with Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake, while Tim David provides middle-order firepower. Matches remain competitive, with recent games often close or rain-affected. Renegades hold venue dominance, unbeaten against Hurricanes here. Toss favors bowling first due to chasing trends.
MR vs HH, BBL|15: Match details
- Date and Time: December 21 (Sunday); 1:45 pm IST / 8:15 am GMT / 7:15 pm Local
- Venue: Simonds Stadium, Geelong
- Head-to-Head Record in BBL: Matches played: 21 | Melbourne Renegades won: 09 | Hobart Hurricanes won: 12 | No result/Tied: 0
Simonds Stadium Pitch Report
Simonds Stadium in Geelong is set to offer a pace-friendly track for the Big Bash League 2025–26 opener between the Melbourne Renegades and Brisbane Heat. Across 13 BBL matches at the venue, chasing teams have enjoyed greater success, winning 8 of the 13 completed games. Under lights, first-innings scores typically range between 130 and 150, though totals can rise if batters find rhythm. The surface provides consistent bounce early on, aiding fast bowlers who can extract movement with the new ball, especially in evening conditions expected to hover around 22–24°C with partly cloudy skies. As the match progresses, spinners are likely to come into play with extra grip from the pitch. Batting remains rewarding, with boundaries coming at a strike rate of 118.4, allowing scores of 170–180 when set batters capitalize. Overall, a closely fought contest is on the cards, with the outcome likely hinging on execution in the death overs.
Squads:
Melbourne Renegades: Will Sutherland (c), Tim Seifert, Adam Zampa, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Caleb Jewell, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon, Hassan Khan, Ollie Peake, Mohammad Rizwan, Tom Rogers
Hobart Hurricanes: Nathan Ellis (c), Tim David, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Beau Webster, Jake Weatherald, Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Rehan Ahmed, Mac Wright, Iain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Fergus O’Neill, Ollie Peake
MR vs HH, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- Hobart Hurricanes wins the toss and bowls first
- Melbourne Renegades’ powerplay score: 45-55 (6 overs)
- Melbourne Renegades’ total score: 170-180
Case 2:
- Melbourne Renegades wins the toss and bowls first
- Hobart Hurricanes’ powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
- Hobart Hurricanes’ total score: 180-190
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest
Also WATCH: Finn Allen launches a colossal 105-metre six off Jack Wildermuth in BBL|15
