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Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers Predictions - Harper to crush the Strikers’ playoff hopes

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 12 Jan 2026

Simon Lewis 12 Jan 2026

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Sam Harper (356 runs, ave 89.00) is 1st in the Big Bash runs list.
Alex Carey scored 71 off 39 balls against the Scorchers.
Can the Stars claim back-to-back wins to put one foot in the playoffs?

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Sam Harper sweeps against the Renegades (Getty Images).

Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers Predictions

Despite a recent dip in form the Stars have enjoyed a good season, while the Strikers have lost more games than they have won. The Stars have a more rounded squad and should have the beating of the Strikers.

Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers Predictions
Head-to-Head
Melbourne Stars Form
Adelaide Strikers Form
Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers Team News

Melbourne Stars’ Sam Harper hit four sixes in his 51-ball 84* against the Renegades.
Melbourne Stars’ Thomas Rogers has scored 50, 30, 23 & 53 in his last 6 innings.
Adelaide Strikers’ Alex Carey has scored 63, 106, 72, 20 & 71 in his last 7 innings.
Adelaide Strikers’ Matthew Short hit three sixes in his 31-ball 52 vs the Scorchers.

Head-to-Head

The Stars have won four and lost one of their last five matches against the Strikers.

Melbourne Stars Form

After an incredible run of four straight wins the Stars slipped to three defeats back to back. They rediscovered their winning touch by beating the Renegades by eight wickets.

Sam Harper has been brilliant this season, scoring 55, 110*, 29*, 37, 20, 21 and 84* in his seven Big Bash innings. Marcus Stoinis has had an exceptional season. He is sixth on the wickets list (12 wickets) and 18th on the runs lists (186 runs, ave 62.00).

The Stars' bowling attack has been key to their five wins this season. They have three bowlers in the top six spots on the wickets list, including the top two, Haris Rauf and Peter Siddle. Siddle has picked up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02, while Rauf has taken 2-plus wickets in seven of his last 10 matches, picking up one wicket in each of his other three games.

Adelaide Strikers Form

The Strikers have lost three of their last four matches, including back-to-back defeats against the Hurricanes (37 runs) and the Scorchers (32 runs).

Liam Scott is the Strikers’ leading run-scorer (272 runs, ave 54.80), scoring 33, 49* and 91* in his last four matches. Matthew Short has scored 242 runs this season but went through a dip before scoring 52 off 31 balls against the Scorchers. The rest of their top order has been short of runs, notably Chris Lynn, who hasn’t scored above 18 since his 79* against the Heat five matches ago.

Lloyd Pope is the Strikers’ leading bowler and sits 5th in the wickets list with 13 sticks (S/R 13.38). He has taken 4/23, 2/37, 1/33 and 2/36 in his last four matches. Jamie Overton has also been in the wickets, taking 3/19, 3/25 and 2/13 in his last four matches and is 9th on the wickets list (11 wickets, econ 7.86).

Melbourne Stars vs Adelaide Strikers Team News

The Stars batter Joe Clarke comes back into their matchday squad after four matches sidelined through a hip injury. He takes the spot of international replacement player Sam Hain.

The Strikers have again switched bowlers to suit pitch conditions, leaving out left-armer Luke Wood for South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who has bowled superbly in both his matches this season.

Melbourne Stars (squad): Hilton Cartwright, Joe Clarke, Tom Curran, Sam Harper, Liam Hatcher, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Haris Rauf, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Marcus Stoinis (c), Mitch Swepson.

Adelaide Strikers (squad): Hassan Ali, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Mackenzie Harvey, Chris Lynn, Harry Manenti, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Matt Short (c), Tabraiz Shamsi, Henry Thornton.

Verdict

Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers

I am backing the Stars to win, with Sam Harper to top score.

Stars Win

Result

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