Picking the starting sides for each BBL is one of the most challenging but enjoyable aspects of Fantasy BBL each year. But, I’ve done the research and taken a few educated guesses to give you the best indication of how the sides will shape up.
Adelaide Strikers
1. Weatherald
2. Dean
3. Ingram (o/s)
4. Head (c)
5. Lehamnn
6. Carey (wk)
7. Neser
8. Siddle
9. Rashid Khan (o/s)
10. Laughlin
11. Stanlake
Remaining squad: Wes Agar, Wells, O’Connor, Winter, Grant, Cormack, Drew
Click here for Strikers Preview: Adelaide experimented with Dean opening in the warm-up games and that looks like the best bet, unless Carey gets a crack at the top. Ingram, Head and Lehmann are locks in the middle order, and the fast bowling cartel of Neser, Siddle, Laughlin, Stanlake looks really strong. I’ve got high hopes for young Rashid Khan too.
Brisbane Heat
1. McCullum (c) (o/s)
2. Peirson (wk)
3. Lynn
4. Burns
5. Ross
6. Heazlett
7. Cutting
8. Swepson
9. Steketee
10. Doggett
11. Shadab Khan (o/s)
Remaining squad: Gannon, Yasir Shah (replacement), Labuschagne, Floros, Lalor, Renshaw, Prestwidge, Bryant, Valente
Click here for Heat Preview: Batting will again be the Heat’s strong point, with the likes of McCullum, Lynn and Cutting among the best six-hitters out there. But where does Cutting bat? Who’s their sixth bowler? Plenty of questions surround the make-up for No.6 and below. The spin duo of Swepson and Shadab is really exciting though.
View the Heat round one squad by clicking here.
Hobart Hurricanes
1. Short
2. Doolan
3. Bailey (c)
4. Wade (wk)
5. McDermott
6. Christian
7. Archer (o/s)
8. Milenko
9. Boyce
10. Rose
11. Mills (o/s)
Remaining squad: Paine, Kingston, Reed, Rainbird, Moody, Reardon, Rogers
Click here for Hurricanes Preview: Doolan looks like getting first crack at opening with Short in Paine’s Test absence, good news for fantasy owners. International Jofra Archer is a good No.7, and with Milenko and Boyce, they bat deep. They’ll go in with two spinners because Christian and Archer both bowl pace.
Melbourne Renegades
1. Finch (c)
2. Harris
3. White
4. Ludeman (wk)
5. Hodge
6. Cooper
7. Bravo (o/s)
8. Nabi (o/s)
9. Tremain
10. Richardson
11. Hogg
Remaining squad: Holland, Mennie, Pattinson, Wildermuth, Pollard (replacement), Webster, Short, Walker, Sutherland
Click here for the Renegades Preview: A very hard line-up to predict, probably the toughest. No room for Holland, Patto (injury), Wildermuth or Webster? It’s great depth to have. Ludeman’s position is an interesting one, because the top three look set and it would be a mistake to have him too low.
Melbourne Stars
1. Dunk (wk)
2. Wright (o/s)
3. Pietersen (o/s)
4. Maxwell
5. Gotch
6. Stoinis
7. Faulkner
8. Hastings (c)
9. Zampa
10. Boland
11. Beer
Remaining squad: Hilfenhaus, Handscomb, Worrall, Gulbis, Quiney, Harper, Coleman, Bowe
Click here for Stars preview: Apparently Handscomb won’t be available for selection for the first few matches, meaning Quiney, Stoinis and Faulkner close out the middle order. Hilfy might get a gig over Boland and Worrall, but the three of them are very close. Pietersen will likely go home over Christmas once again as well.
View the Stars round one side by clicking here.
Perth Scorchers
1. Klinger
2. Cartwright
3. Voges (c)
4. Turner
5. Agar
6. Inglis (wk)
7. Tim David
8. Willey (o/s)
9. Johnson
10. Tye
11. Richardson
Remaining squad: Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Bancroft, Benhrendorff, Coulter-Nile, Paris, Whiteman, Cameron Green
Click here for Scorchers Preview: Another tough one to pick. Who opens with Klinger? I’d go with Cartwright because of Whiteman’s injury and the Test boys national duties. Turner is a quality bat and deserves a go higher up the order, and Inglis has been included but he’s the only remaining quality batsman in the squad. Coulter-Nile’s injuries look like keeping him out for a bit too, unfortunately.
Sydney Sixers
1. Roy (o/s)
2. Maddinson
3. Henriques (c)
4. Hughes
5. Billings (o/s)
6. Nevill (wk)
7. Botha
8. Abbott
9. O’Keefe
10. Conway
11. Bollinger
Remaining squad: Starc, Lyon, Thornton, Silk, Sams, Bird, Jack Edwards
Click here for the Sixers Preview: Fewer international players on the Sixers’ squad this season is a relief for selection, and the top six looks very strong. No room for Silk, who’s back in form, but the ever-reliable Botha at No.7. The bowling looks weaker than usual, but Lyon will slot in once the Tests are done and Mickey Edwards is an option to spice things up later in the comp.
Update: Bird will not be released for BBL with Starc’s bruised heel injury cloud (foxsports.com.au)
View the Sixers’ squad for round one by clicking here.
Sydney Thunder
1. Patterson
2.Watson (c)
3. Buttler (wk) (o/s)
4. Ferguson
5. Rohrer
6. Gibson
7. Chris Green
8. McClenaghan (o/s)
9. McAndrew
10. Fekete
11. Ahmed
Remaining squad: Khawaja, Nair, Blizzard, Gibson, Hatcher, McKay, Sandhu, Cummins
Click here for the Thunder Preview: The Thunder obviously look weaker when Khawaja’s not in the top order, so for the first bit of the tournament, Patterson and Watson (maybe!) will be facing the new rock. Buttler is a very destructive hitter and I’m really looking forward to watching McClenaghan make his BBL debut.
View the Thunder squad for round one by clicking here.
I’m confident you made a mistake not including Rogers, but otherwise, I like this a lot. Do you really think Cartwright will open? If so, he’s a bargain.
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If Rogers played, I’d be happily wrong given his price. On Cartwright, the Scorchers’ hand has been forced with the Marsh brothers and Bancroft with the Test team and Whiteman injured – they don’t have any other options.
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Willey batted at 3 the whole Natwest T20 Eng Domestic season, he could be a smokey!
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And he’s opened in the past for Northants too. However, he’s never got up the order for the Scorchers, which is a shame for fantasy owners.
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Except for in one of the warm up matches….. (I think)
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What’s the go with Behrendorff? Injured?
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Yeah Jacob. Played a Shield game and broke down. Langer said he’d be “in cotton wool” until the BBL. I believe it’s unlikely he’ll play in their first match but is a chance later in the tournament.
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Hey Josh, chances of Ludeman opening pretty slim now you think? I’ve got Peirson at the moment along with Lynn and Baz though as well and the chances of all 3 of them performing in one game is pretty unlikely I guess, so I’d prefer Ludeman probably but I saw Harris did well in the practice match over the weekend so he’ll most likely open? Even though Ludeman did well up the top in the earlier practice matches.
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I believe so, yes. Finch and Harris to open, just like last year.
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How sure are you that Nic Maddison will make the lineup ?
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Looking at their squad it looks very likely that he’ll be picked ahead of Silk and Sams in my opinion.
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Has a pretty good BBL record and capable at the top of the order. I think he’s a good chance.
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Who do you reckon will be a cheap top order batsmen, so far I have Maddinson and Blizzard on the bench, but Blizzard will most likely not be selected in the first round.
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Doolan Most likely is your best bet, but lehmann is another safe option
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