I must insist this side isn’t my selection for Australia’s T20 side. I have created a side of BBL 03 players based on their form this season.
My two openers are pretty clear cut, workman-like Hurricane Ben Dunk partnered with hard-hitting Renegade skipper Aaron Finch.
Dunk has surprised many this season with his batting. Many may not have even heard of him before it. The ex-Queenslander has made 261 runs at a decent strike rate of 141, highlighted with his brilliant 96 against the hapless Thunder.
Aaron Finch has just been named International T20 player of the year, and needs no introduction. The leader of his Renegades, Finch has scored 262 runs and is the equal leading run-scorer of the competition – for now anyway.
The scary thing is that the big fella hasn’t even been at his best this season.
Veteran Mike Hussey is a lock at number three. He has been sensational leading and driving his young side this year, and with bat in hand he has showed no signs of slowing down.
Huss has over 200 runs with three fifties included in that.
Cameron White comes in here at four. He has been opening the batting the whole tournament, but he has played the majority of his cricket in the middle order.
The newly named Domestic Cricketer of the Year has had his best Big Bash season yet with 201 runs and a couple of fifties to his credit.
Ball-clubbing Heat youngster Chris Lynn is my number five.
Lynn is certainly a player for the future, and showed us what he can do when he won the game for his side back in Round 1 against the Scorchers – an innings that included nine sixes.
Lynn has since been rewarded with a place in the national T20 squad.
Luke Wright slots in at number six. Again, Wright has opened the innings for his side with Cameron White this season, but with such a solid opening duo, Wright still makes the side, but finds his place in the middle-order.
Wright is the equal-highest run maker for the tournament with Finch, earmarked by a sensational 70 against Finch’s Renegades on the opening night. Wright’s ability to clear the ropes in the early overs of the innings have made him ultra-dangerous and a prized wicket for opposition sides.
Very damaging player who can also bowl.
Daniel Smith is my wicket-keeper. Smith moves very well and this has been reflected in his glovework this season.
Smith has taken seven catches in the pink this season, with a handful of stumpings to his credit aswell. He is a pinch-hitting batsman who can be effective batting in the lower order.
Striker’s all-rounder Michael Neser is at eight. Neser has come on in leaps and bounds this season – a vastly improved cricketer who has become very valuable to his side.
More a bowling all-rounder who bats, Neser has claimed ten wickets at a strike rate of 12.3.
Yasir Arafat is next up. The Pakistani was a late call-up at the start of the season due to Dwayne Smith being unavailable. But was it a blessing in disguise?
Arafat executes a superb mix of deliveries and is a bowler with terrific variation. He is a hard bowler to get away, who is also a reputable bowler at the death.
He has 12 wickets at a notable economy rate of 7.24, and was also robbed of the two scalps he picked up during the Scorchers’ super-over win against the 6ers.
Cameron Gannon is up next. The fluoro-booted Gannon has had a sensational tournament with his 15 wickets, and a wonderful best of 4/10. Gannon is capable of bowling tightly at any stage of the innings, and has been an asset to the Heat this year.
Finally, Jackson Bird began the season in great fashion getting his side home easily against the Renegades with four wickets. 13 wickets to his name being the second-highest wicket-taker so far.
Despite lack of four-day cricket, the Tasmanian has been granted a place in the national Test squad to tour South Africa.
So there it is, my BBL 03 representative team
1. Aaron Finch (Renegades)
2. Ben Dunk (Hurricanes)
3. Mike Hussey (Thunder)
4. Cameron White – Captain (Stars)
5. Chris Lynn (Heat)
6. Luke Wright (Stars)
7. Dan Smith (wk) (6ERs)
8. Michael Neser (Strikers)
9. Yasir Arafat (Scorchers)
10. Cameron Gannon (Heat)
11. Jackson Bird (Stars)
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
Three-Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed with Tasmania in a bid for red-ball game time ahead of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next summer.…
Last week, you read about the Matt XI, a compilation of the best cricketers ever to represent the name Matt. And to be fair,…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
