The Melbourne Renegades take on the Hobart Hurricanes in Match 8 of the 2025/26 KFC Big Bash League season in Geelong, Victoria, on December 21, 2025.
Last season’s champions have begun this campaign with a win and a loss and need to respond positively in this fixture. The Renegades, meanwhile, kicked off their season with a strong performance, which gives them good momentum going into the second week.
For the game, here we present our preview and predictions.
The Renegades started their 2025/26 campaign with a confident victory over the Brisbane Heat, defending a sizeable score of 212 to win by 14 runs. The opening result shows the depth within this squad, which looks flexible enough to adjust across varying conditions this season.
Despite failures from three out of the top four, with Josh Brown (15 off 13), Mohammad Rizwan (4 off 10) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (14 off 7) all falling cheaply, Kiwi international Tim Seifert powered his way to a match-winning 102 off 56 to put the Renegades in a commanding position at the halfway stage.
The Renegades must also be thrilled at the prospect of Ollie Peake finding his feet this early into the season, having scored an unbeaten 57 off 29 in just his second BBL game for the side. Moreover, all-rounders Will Sutherland and Harry Dixon will be crucial in assisting the team with both bat and ball.
On the bowling front, Sutherland was the star of the show last time out, taking 3 for 33 in his four overs. Seamers Jason Behrendorff (2/34) and Gurinder Sandhu (2/35) also led the line well in their first outings of the season. However, both Fergus O’Neill and specialist spinner Hassan Khan had off-days and will look to bounce back in the coming games.
The Hurricanes, on the other hand, have begun their BBL|15 campaign with mixed results, picking up one win and one defeat. This contest gives them a chance to tidy up areas where they’ve not clicked so far.
Their batting unit blends depth with attacking intent. Mitch Owen was exceptional last season, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 452 from 11 matches at a strike rate of 203, and he has carried that form forward with 40 runs from two outings at a strike rate of 222. Nikhil Chaudhary has slotted in well alongside him, contributing 48 runs across two matches while striking at 117.
Ben McDermott, who tops the run charts for the Hurricanes this season with 107 runs from two games, works well through the middle alongside Matthew Wade, while Tim David remains the trump card in the middle and slog overs with his ability to strike at upwards of 150+ strike rate from the get-go.
Their bowling department reflects flexibility. With Riley Meredith and Billy Stanlake’s express pace and bounce up front, and Chris Jordan and Nathan Ellis’s ability to manage the final overs effectively, the Hurricanes boast control and wicket-taking options both upfront and towards the death. The middle-over responsibility, though, lies with Bangladeshi wrist-spinner Rishad Hossain.
In terms of the pitch and the weather conditions for this game, the surface is usually hard and true, but do not expect a flat run-fest like we’ve seen at some of the other venues. With bowlers using the breeze, cutters, and wide lines to take advantage of the long square boundaries, batters need to rely on placement rather than constant slogging.
The weather conditions in Victoria don’t look too great for a full game, though, as there’s a chance of heavy showers in the morning, followed by rain in the evening.
Looking ahead to the fixture, the Renegades have started the season well and will aim to carry that form into this fixture. However, they now face reigning champions Hobart Hurricanes, whose campaign has been inconsistent up to this point. It’s tough to separate the two sides, but we are backing the Melbourne Renegades given their batting depth and the home advantage.
Fantasy XI: Josh Brown, Tim Seifert, Oliver Peake, Nikhil Chaudhary, Ben McDermott, Tim David, Chris Jordan, Will Sutherland (c), Rishad Hossain (vc), Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Behrendorff
Venue: Simonds Stadium, Geelong, Victoria
Winners Prediction: Melbourne Renegades
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