Breakout BBL players of BBL11: Jason Sangha, Hayden Kerr and other rising stars profiled

The silver lining of an unprecedented summer of BBL upheaval has been a host of breakout stars being unearthed. We rate the top 11 rising stars to emerge in BBL11.

Jason Sangha knew this could be it.

More than two years after his last BBL opportunity, a player previously touted as one of Australia’s next wave of batting prodigies walked to the middle of The Gabba with a sense the next few hours could decide his career.

“I sort of had a feeling this year that I (was) going to get an opportunity eventually and when it does come, I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself,” Sangha said.

“I got told sort of two days before the game or the day before the game that I was going to play.

“I sort of just sat back and was like, ‘this could be my last game. If this is my last game for a long time, I have been waiting a long time for this opportunity.”

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The 22-year-old was a very different player — and person — from the one who burst onto the national stage with 63 not out on his BBL debut in 2018.

One who had developed his game significantly during 1052 days in the BBL wilderness, desperate to ensure he would be ready when another opportunity in green arrived.

“At times I felt like I was playing the victim a bit too much and the world was a bit against me,” he said.

“I just sort of sat there one day and went, ‘well, I can go two ways here’.

“I can just complain and sit back and wait for an opportunity to come. Or you can go out and try and earn one.”

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Jason Sangha has been one of the breakout stars of BBL11.

Two thumbs up after a man of the match performance.

The unique nature of this BBL season, when entire teams have been wiped out by Covid, has presented opportunities for grade cricketers and forgotten talents to prove they belong on the national stage.

Sangha has been one of the tournament’s great success stories, peeling off scores of 39, 47, 56 not out and 91 not out in successive games after his long-awaited re-call.

Callum Ferguson’s retirement, Usman Khawaja’s Test re-call and a thumb injury to fellow youngster Ollie Davies presented Sangha with a chance he had long been craving.

“I went into that game thinking, this is a reward for some of your hard work,” he said.

“I’d told myself I wanted to earn the opportunity.

“I thought I had earned the opportunity and I was like, ‘OK, from here on in I’m not going to focus on the outcome’.

“It was pretty hard not to worry about making sure I do well because if I didn’t do well I think suddenly it’s very easy to start questioning, ‘am I actually good enough at this level?’ “But for me, I was worried about the areas I had improved on as a player and trying to be really in the moment in what I can do for the team.”

Jason Sangha during his debut BBL summer in 2018.

Jason Sangha was signed by the Thunder as a 16-year-old.

Sangha finished the BBL’s regular season with more runs than stars including Colin Munro, Alex Hales and Matthew Wade, compiling 384 runs and proving he belongs in the BBL.

He has been buoyed by the success of other players who have waited years for a BBL opportunity, including former Randwick-Petersham teammate Henry Thornton.

The speedster was a late-season addition to Adelaide Strikers squad and has snared eight wickets in four matches, grasping his chance more than five years after last playing for Sydney Sixers.

“I remember seeing a couple of guys that I played under-19s with, or you see around grade cricket, that have always been really good players but just haven’t had that opportunity to go out and do really well,” Sangha said.

“I think it’s fantastic. They are probably prime examples of guys that have worked on their craft really hard for a long period of time and have got to a stage where they have almost got nothing to lose.”

Through crisis often comes opportunity and the silver lining of a chaotic BBL summer could be the birth of several future stars that Australian cricket may otherwise have never unearthed.

11 BREAKOUT TALENTS OF BBL11

Paddy Dooley (Heat)

The left-arm spinner’s unique action immediately caught the eye when he debuted as one of Brisbane Heat’s replacement players against Hobart. Dooley did not look out of place and was unlucky to go wicketless, taking 0-25 in his only BBL outing. Clubs looking for a homegrown spinner to complement their bowling stocks will no doubt have Dooley on their list of potential signings for BBL12 after an eye-catching debut.

How many wickets is Dooley's action gonna get him tonight? #BBL11pic.twitter.com/LGQ4rxgiqi

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 8, 2022

Jason Sangha (Thunder)

One of the most remarkable stories of BB11, the one-time batting prodigy of Australian cricket has capitalised on a chance at No. 3 after Usman Khawaja’s Test return and Ollie Davies’ thumb injury. A few weeks after reclaiming his spot in the Thunder line-up, Sangha was named captain when Chris Green had to isolate. A haul of 384 runs during the regular season made Sangha one of the leading batsmen of the summer.

Hayden Kerr has taken more than 20 wickets for Sydney Sixers.

Hayden Kerr (Sixers)

One of the stories of the summer, Kerr has gone from a fringe Sixers all-rounder to one of the BBL’s most-lethal bowlers. The left-arm quick has 22 scalps in 14 matches, surprising batsmen with a mix of slower balls and quicker deliveries pushing 135km/h. The Sixers needed a player to step up after Tom Curran went down injured and Kerr has filled the void with aplomb.

Matthew Short (Strikers)

Short was the beneficiary of Alex Carey’s Test debut and Travis Head’s return to the Test squad, relishing greater opportunities at the top of the order for the Strikers. The Victorian smashed 359 runs at a strike rate of 152 during the regular season, with his pull shot a huge weapon in the power play. Short also stepped up with the ball, taking six wickets.

Brody Couch (left) has stepped up for the Stars.

Brody Couch (Stars)

Couch had only played one first-class game and three Marsh Cup fixtures for Victoria when he was thrown the responsibility of being Melbourne Stars’ death bowler. The 22-year-old from country Victoria has thrived in one of T20 cricket’s toughest roles and finished BBL11 with a team-high 16 wickets from 14 matches.

Thomas Kelly (Strikers)

The Strikers went for experience in their middle order at the start of BBL11 before turning to 21-year-old Kelly. Batting at No. 5 or No. 6 has never been an easy role in T20 cricket, especially for a player in the infancy of his career. But Kelly produced several important cameos for the Strikers and has been a livewire in the field, suggesting he has a huge future.

Thomas Kelly has been a great find for the Strikers.

Tom Rogers (Stars)

Not to be confused with the Hobart wicket-taker, Rogers was one of the replacement players plucked from grade cricket after a dominant start to the summer for his club side Ringwood. The left-hander did not look out of place, hitting 32 from 25 balls against a Perth side boasting internationals Tymal Mills, Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye and Ashton Agar.

Mitch Owen (Hurricanes)

Rated one of the best prospects to come out of Tasmania in recent years, Owen has had opportunities late in BBL11 to stamp himself as the player for fill James Faulkner’s all-round vacancy. His economy rate of 8.3 looks hefty, but was similar to Aussie T20 quick and Hurricanes teammate Nathan Ellis. Given more chances, Owen has the goods to become a serious threat for Hobart.

Todd Murphy (Sixers)

The off-spinner was a mid-season replacement for the Sixers after Ben Manenti and Stephen O’Keefe went down with injuries. A highly-regarded talent from Victoria, Murphy bowled with composure which belief his inexperience to finish the regular season with an economy rate of 5.1 from nine overs. A full-time deal surely beckons next season, whether it’s in Sydney or back in Melbourne.

Will Prestwidge muscles up after taking a wicket.

Will Prestwidge (Heat)

Prestwidge was a member of the Heat’s initial squad but appeared a long way back in the queue of bowlers. That was until Michael Neser and Mitch Swepson made the Test squad and most of the Heat’s senior players had to isolate due to Covid. Prestwidge took four wickets in three matches, with a haul of 2-37 and knock of 21 against Hobart suggesting he has a bright future.

Henry Thornton the Sixer.

And tearing in for Adelaide five years on.

Henry Thornton (Strikers)

More than five years after his last BBL opportunity, Thornton clearly wasn’t going to waste a late-season call-up fro the Strikers. The ex-Sixers quick replaced injured bowler Spencer Johnson and put himself on the map with eight wickets in four games, including 4-26 against Melbourne Stars. At 25 and capable of reaching speeds of 145km/h, his signature will be a prized one in the BBL off-season.

Originally published as Breakout BBL players of BBL11: Jason Sangha, Hayden Kerr and other rising stars profiled