With the BBL firing up on Wednesday, 19 December, it’s time to look into each team’s chances for the tournament.
A longer season should provide the better teams with a stronger chance to be rewarded for their efforts, while those that struggle will languish down the bottom for a long while.
The following starting XIs do not take into account players on international duty or suspended for the start of the tournament.
Why they can win it
The Strikers going back-to-back is a genuine possibility when you look at their team and form. Playing at Adelaide Oval provides them with such an advantage – they won all six matches at the venue in BBL|07 easily thanks to arguably the smartest bowling attack in the competition. Not much has changed for the team, who will field largely the same XI with the exception of Matt Short in for Travis Head.
Rashid Khan is the best bowler in the competition, while Ben Laughlin’s change-ups still get wickets. Peter Siddle was one of the most economical pace bowlers last year, while Michael Neser and Billy Stanlake are constant, strong performers.
This is a team that knows how to bowl in any situation and make the most of its home ground. Add in the part-time yet always dangerous spin of Matt Short and Colin Ingram and it’s a formidable line-up to play against. If any injuries were to occur, don’t sleep on the wicket-taking ability of Nick Winter or the all-round ability of Cam Valente.
Why they can’t win it
With three 50s and an average of 54 at a strike rate of 133, Travis Head was a crucial part of Adelaide’s batting line-up. Given his involvement in all forms of the game internationally, it leaves a hole in the middle order, where stability may be an issue. The Strikers were well held by the Scorchers twice last season, and good bowling can keep them to a low total. On paper, Alex Carey, Jake Weatherald and Ingram is arguably the strongest top three in the competition, but relying on Carey to back-up his breakout season and the two other inconsistent performers can be a slight concern.
This will be the campaign that Jake Lehmann truly establishes himself in the domestic scene. His Sheffield Shield form is top notch but his BBL form has been horrendous – he has averaged ten in 21 matches. Expect him to be batting at No.5 and delivering a lot of red ink in BBL|08 as he works his way to becoming an Australian player. His breaking out would eliminate this stability issue that could become a roadblock.
Adelaide Strikers Starting XI
1. Alex Carey (wk), 2. Jake Weatherald, 3. Colin Ingram, 4. Matt Short, 5. Jake Lehmann (c), 6. Jono Wells, 7. Michael Neser, 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Peter Siddle, 10. Ben Laughlin, 11. Billy Stanlake.
(Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Why they can win it
My tip to win the BBL, there is no more explosive team than the Brisbane Heat. This is a team that can score 220-plus multiple times throughout the campaign, particularly at home, and bowl with sheer pace to skittle the opposition. It may be unlikely, but Max Bryant should be opening the batting and allow Chris Lynn to bat at No.3 and Joe Burns at No.4, only adding to the firepower. Ben Cutting coming in at No.7 and even better, James Pattinson at No.8 – some readers may know my thoughts on Pattinson – provides some incredible depth in that area.
Brisbane’s depth overall could hold the team in good stead come the end of the tournament. There’s flexibility if players don’t perform, given Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Heazlett, Mitchell Swepson and Josh Lalor could all be outside the team’s best XI despite having the ability to perform at the level. Given the longer tournament, we may see Brisbane maximise the ability to rotate their team.
Why they can’t win it
The fifth bowler. This really depends on how the Heat balances their team, but if Ben Cutting ends up coming in at No.7, it likely means he will be the fifth bowler. James Pattinson, Mark Steketee and Brendan Doggett make a great pace attack, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman will keep things tight with his off spin. Cutting isn’t someone that should bowl four overs given he tends to bowl too short and in the ‘hitting zone’. Joe Burns may be used quite a bit this season.
The other concern with the Heat’s aforementioned strength in sheer pace is how quickly the ball can be sent over each bowler’s head. Steketee’s economy rate was 9.02 last season. Doggett went at 9.5 and Cutting conceded 9.97 runs per over. The Queensland bowlers have been better this season, and James Pattinson can tear teams apart, so hopefully the pace attack of the Heat can improve its change-up deliveries to become less predictable.
Brisbane Heat Starting XI
1. Max Bryant, 2. Brendon McCullum, 3. Chris Lynn (c), 4. Joe Burns, 5. Alex Ross, 6. Jimmy Perison (wk), 7. Ben Cutting, 8. James Pattinson, 9. Mark Steketee, 10. Brendan Doggett, 11. Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
(Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Why they can win it
They made the BBL final last season when there wasn’t much expectation on the back of three players – D’Arcy Short, Ben McDermott and Jofra Archer. With Matt Wade’s current form and the additions of Johan Botha and James Faulkner, the Hurricanes have some elite T20 players they can rely upon to get them over the line.
The team’s top four has some serious hitting potential provided Ben McDermott can avoid being run out. There is a bit of depth if it fails, with Johan Botha, James Faulkner and Clive Rose tending to work the ball around more than provide out-and-out hitting. This is a team that should manage to post decent totals in each match if its top order fails and produce a lot more if one of its stars catches fire.
Why they can’t win it
Outside Jofra Archer, Hobart’s bowling attack lacks a killer instinct. There’s a real hope James Faulkner can return to his best despite being down for a couple of years, as he was one of the best T20 players in Australia at one point in time. Tymal Mills simply isn’t good enough, while Tom Rogers, Riley Meredith and Aaron Summers are all untried BBL options over an extended period of time.
Ultimately, Hobart downgraded Dan Christian for the far less explosive Johan Botha, and Archer, Faulkner and Rose aren’t a winning combination. Supporters can enjoy the highlights that Hobart will provide, but that may be all the team produces.
Hobart Hurricanes Starting XI
1. D’Arcy Short, 2. Matthew Wade (c, wk), 3. Ben McDermott, 4. George Bailey, 5. Jake Doran, 6. Johan Botha, 7. James Faulkner, 8. Clive Rose, 9. Jofra Archer, 10. Riley Meredith, 11. Tymal Mills.
(Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Why they can win it
The Renegades have an excellent number of bowling options, with no fewer than eight bowlers in its best XI. This gives the team great flexibility if some players are failing to deliver with the ball, particularly with the ability to get through quick overs with Mohammed Nabi, Beau Webster and Tom Cooper.
Chris Tremain may be the most underrated bowler in the competition, and having access to him for the entire tournament will be a welcome addition to the team. Usman Shinwari will be interesting to watch as the Renegades’ second international player for part of the tournament, with the impressive Harry Gurney due to replace him. It’s a strong bowling attack.
Why they can’t win it
Harris and Finch being in the Test team could destroy the Renegades this season. If their captain ends up failing and subsequently being dropped to the BBL team, it will be a huge boost, as the current openers appear to be Cameron White and Tim Ludeman. While the former is fine, the latter spent most of the season in the lower order and not doing much.
Relying on Tim Ludeman at the top when the long list of all-rounders commences at No.5 is extremely risky. Dan Christian plays at his best when he can play his natural game. He may be relied upon too heavily to produce well.
Melbourne’s Red team may struggle to perform this season with an imbalanced squad that lacks depth in numbers. For a team that has consistently underperformed throughout its history, this is a disappointing list of names for BBL08.
Melbourne Renegades Starting XI
1. Cameron White (c), 2. Tim Ludeman (wk), 3. Beau Webster, 4. Tom Cooper, 5. Dan Christian, 6. Mohammed Nabi, 7. Jack Wildermuth, 8. Chris Tremain, 9. Cameron Boyce, 10. Kane Richardson, 11. Usman Shinwari.
(AAP Image/David Crosling)
Why they can win it
Ben Dunk will score the most runs of any player this tournament. With this locked in, and with the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell batting in the top order, we could see some big scores at the MCG.
However, the Stars have smartened up their bowling attack as well, which is a key part to BBL success. Sandeep Lamicchane will be an excellent pick-up and Dwayne Bravo is the smartest bowler in world T20 cricket. Adam Zampa takes the pace off as well, meaning the Stars are heading in with only two genuine pace bowlers, which could be a smart tactic.
Why they can’t win it
Nic Maddinson’s out and Peter Handscomb’s currently in the Test team, which eliminates two key cogs in the Stars machine. Marcus Stoinis is the obvious candidate to open the batting, but he too may feature in the Test squad soon enough, which could lead to a reliance on Travis Dean or even Evan Gulbis to bat in the top order. Despite the quality of Ben Dunk, Maxwell and hopefully Stoinis, the Stars will likely need to bowl first in the early stages of the tournament to minimise the number of runs they need to get.
Also of slight concern is the international situation stemming from Matt Parkinson’s injury ruling him out of the second part of the tournament. Lamicchane is available for the first half and will be a really good addition, but Liam Plunkett replacing him mid-tournament is a big downgrade. Plunkett doesn’t really add anything to the BBL and may end up making the Stars attack more predictable. They needed to find a different spinner to replace Parkinson.
Melbourne Stars Starting XI
1. Ben Dunk, 2. Travis Dean, 3. Marcus Stoinis, 4. Glenn Maxwell (C), 5. Sam Harper (wk), 6. Dwayne Bravo, 7. Evan Gulbis, 8. Adam Zampa, 9. Scott Boland, 10. Daniel Worrall, 11. Sandeep Lamicchane.
(AAP Image/Rob Blakers)
Why they can win it
They’re the Perth Scorchers. It’s as good a reason as any, with the most successful franchise in the competition’s history making the final in all but two seasons. The Scorchers make the most of their home-ground advantage and have always possessed the best bowling attack in the competition. In previous years the team has always been quite settled, with Justin Langer creating a strong culture that promoted success. This mindset is unlikely to change under Adam Voges.
The fitness of Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile for BBL|08 makes Perth’s bowling even stronger, which is scary to consider with Matthew Kelly, Cameron Green, Usman Qadir and Joel Paris all worthy of spots in the best XI yet likely to miss out. This is a team that kept last year’s champions, the Adelaide Strikers, to their two lowest totals last season. Beware the strong attack.
Why they can’t win it
For once it appears as though there’s a clear fault in Perth’s squad. The batting depth just isn’t there for BBL|08, and there will be a reliance on a lot of all-rounders and a certain batsman who won’t have played at such a high level for nearly a year. Cameron Bancroft will need to return as soon as his suspension ends to strengthen the Scorchers, who will likely rely on David Willey to open early in the tournament. Mitch Marsh’s poor form means he will be available for the team, which is a big boost given Ashton Turner shouldn’t be batting in the top four.
Ultimately, the strength and depth in Perth’s bowling mean they have too many players to fit into the team. Unless they want to drop a genuine gun bowler, the batting will be susceptible to collapse. This is a Perth team that could finally lose its stranglehold on the competition, and I’m tipping them to miss the top four.
Perth Scorchers Starting XI
1. Michael Klinger, 2. David Willey, 3. Hilton Cartwright, 4. Mitch Marsh (c), 5. Ashton Turner, 6. Ashton Agar, 7. Josh Inglis (wk), 8. Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9. Jhye Richardson, 10. Andrew Tye, 11. Jason Behrendorff.
(Will Russell/CA/Getty Images)
Why they can win it
If youthful exuberance were a key indicator of success, the Sixers would be really competitive in BBL|08. The Sixers have some of the youngest players in the competition likely to feature this season, and the experienced players they have are all solid-to-great T20 performers. It wouldn’t surprise to see the likes of Jack Edwards, Lloyd Pope and Daniel Fallins rewarded with games thanks to good performances so far this season, which can really give the whole team a lift. Joe Denly and Sam Curran are excellent internationals to have available, while Nathan Lyon playing in the final stages of the tournament is always handy.
Why they can’t win it
The truth is that the Sixers are likely to finish in the final two spots. A lot of players are quite good individually, but there’s a real lack of X factor in the team. Consistency is an issue with every player in the squad, and you only need a couple of passengers to derail any T20 match. We’ll see Moises Henriques and Daniel Hughes bat well, just as we’ll see Ben Dwarshuis and Sam Curran bowl well, but overall, the team isn’t threatening enough to be close to a contender this year.
Sydney Sixers Starting XI
1. Daniel Hughes, 2. Joe Denly, 3. Josh Phillipe, 4. Moises Henriques (c), 5. Jack Edwards, 6. Peter Nevill (wk), 7. Sam Curran, 8. Stephen O’Keefe, 9. Daniel Fallins, 10. Ben Dwarshuis, 11. Sean Abbott.
(AAP Image/Craig Golding)
Why they can win it
Now this is a genuine dark horse. The Thunder have put together a really nice squad that can most certainly challenge for the title, with four excellent international players chosen to represent the team. Getting off to a good start in the BBL is extremely important, and securing the services of Jos Buttler (again) and Joe Root to feature in the top four is the perfect way to ambush the opposition. When they leave, Anton Devcich, the damaging opening batsman from New Zealand, and Chris Jordan come in as replacements. Both are well suited to the competition. It’s rare teams can nail all their imports, but the Thunder have done a good job.
The team’s top five batsmen are extremely strong and will perform well throughout the entire tournament. Usman Khawaja and Devcich replacing the two Englishmen mid-tournament doesn’t hurt at all, and the Thunder will post large totals if these players perform as expected. The number of bowling options is also impressive, giving the team a well-rounded XI at all times.
Why they can’t win it
It seems obvious to say if a team’s top order fails, they’ll lose, but given the all-rounders start batting at No.6, this is most certainly the case with the Thunder. If a team were to take early wickets, ‘Sydney Green’ would be relying on streaky batsmen to build a total. While the batting depth goes all the way to ten, it is a slight worry.
Given Pat Cummins is unlikely to play at all during the tournament, the Thunder enter without a genuinely quick bowler, which can be a positive and a negative. It does mean the team is relying on consistent areas and constant change-ups to bowl opposition teams out, which puts pressure on all bowlers to perform. They’ll always have seven or eight options in the side, though, so it’s manageable to slow it down and spin the opposition out, as is seemingly the plan.
Sydney Thunder Starting XI
1. Shane Watson (c), 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Kurtis Patterson, 4. Joe Root, 5. Callum Ferguson, 6. Jason Sangha, 7. Arjun Nair, 8. Chris Green, 9. Daniel Sams, 10. Gurinder Sandhu, 11. Fawad Ahmed.
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