BBL 2025: Sydney Thunder vs Melbourne Stars 14th T20 Match Prediction - Who will win today's match between ST vs MS T20 match?

Sydney Thunder will clash against Melbourne Stars in the 14th match of the Men's Big Bash League 2025 campaign. The game is scheduled to take place at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday, 28th December. While the Stars aim for their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament, the Thunder will look to move up in the points table.

Sydney Thunder

Sydney Thunder returned to their winning track after losing their first two matches of this BBL season against the Hobart Hurricanes and the Sydney Sixers. They bounced back in their recent match with a solid 34 runs. While batting first, they scored 193 runs in their 20 overs, thanks to the brilliant half-centuries from Sam Konstas and Matthew Gikes. They had a stellar outing with their bowling, restricting the Heat to just 159 for 6 in their 20 overs. Shadab Khan delivered a match-winning spell, taking four wickets in his spell. They are currently placed in fifth spot on the leaderboard.

Melbourne Stars

The Melbourne Stars are dominating in the league stage, rolling with their three back-to-back victories. They will be coming into this match after beating the Sydney Sixers by 7 wickets last time out. They bowled impressively well, bowling out their rivals on just 144 runs. Tom Curran and Peter Siddle took three wickets each, while Stoinis grabbed two. They chased down the total in just 17.3 overs, thanks to the match-winning century from Sam Harper, who took the match home with his unbeaten 110 runs. With three consecutive wins in three games, they are currently looking strong and sit atop the leaderboard.

ST vs MS Match Details

ST vs MS Pitch Report

The Manuka Oval surface typically provides a balanced playing surface, offering some assistance to both batters and bowlers. Seamers might receive some movement in the initial few overs and are likely to dominate with their good pace. Once the players get set, batting becomes easier. The outfield is fast, and spinners might come into play in the middle overs. The average first innings total here is 160, which suggests that batting would be easier in the first innings.

ST vs MS Weather Report

The weather is expected to remain partially cloudy during the match, with cold weather. The temperature is likely to be around 12-16°C. Light winds are likely to flow, and comfortable humidity will make it perfect for the match. The conditions are likely to be windy, with a wind speed of around 8 kmph. 

ST vs MS Head-to-Head Records

ST vs MS 14th BBL Probable XI

• Sydney Thunder: Matthew Gilkes, Sam Konstas, Cameron Bancroft, David Warner (c), Sam Billings (wk), Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Daniel Sams, Shadab Khan, Reece Topley, Tanveer Sangha.

• Melbourne Stars: Marcus Stoinis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Peter Siddle, Haris Rauf, Shimron Harper (wk), Tom Curran, Mitchell Swepson, Thomas Rogers, Campbell Kellaway, Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clark

Players To Watch Out For In the ST vs MS 14th BBL Match

• Shadab Khan | ST-W: Shadab Khan is a bowling all-rounder who contributes from his batting and bowling. He has been performing brilliantly so far in the tournament. He has 75 runs to his name in just 2 innings and 6 wickets already in three innings. He was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets in his spell against the Heat in the last match. Hence, he is surely a player to watch out for in this match.

• Marcus Stoinis | MS: Marcus Stoinis has been a match-winner for this club in the history of the Big Bash League tournament. He has consistently done well for the team throughout these years with his all-around skills. He has been delivering with both batting and bowling in the ongoing tournament, scoring 94 runs in just two innings and 5 wickets to his name. He will be a player to watch out for.

• Sam Harper | MS: Sam Harper is in terrific form this year, scoring huge runs with his aggressive hitting. In the first two matches, he has collected 165 runs at a phenomenal average of 165 and a strike rate of 171.88. He scored 55 runs against the Adelaide Strikers, followed by a brilliant match-winning century against the Sixers in the lats match. Hence, he is surely a player to watch out for in this match.

ST vs MS Toss Prediction

Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue

• In the last 3 T20 matches played at this venue, the team winning the toss has opted to bowl first on all three occasions.

Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch

• In 33 men's T20 matches played at this venue so far, the team batting first has recorded 13 victories, while the team chasing has won in 19 matches. This trend suggests that teams should prefer to bowl first to get the maximum help.

ST vs MS Today's Match Scenario

Scenario 1

• Toss Winner: ST (opts to bowl first)
• Power-Play Score: 40-42
• MS Total: 170-180
• Match Winner: Sydney Thunder

Scenario 2

• Toss Winner: MS (opts to bowl first)
• Power-Play Score: 40-45
• ST Total: 155-165
• Match Winner: Melbourne Stars

Who will win today's ST vs MS 14th BBL T20 match?

Melbourne Stars have been roaring with their brilliant form in this tournament, winning all their matches so far, while the Thunder have looked a bit inconsistent. Both teams are equipped with a strong batting lineup and a balanced bowling setup, but the Sydney Thunder are likely to win this match. In the last five head-to-head matches between these two teams, all matches were won by the Thunder.