Should you start Tom Banton, Matthew Gilkes or Josh Philippe as your SuperCoach BBL wicketkeeper?

Should you start Tom Banton, Josh Philippe or Matthew Gilkes in your SuperCoach BBL team? Why not all three? We’ve assessed five strategies to consider when choosing your wicketkeeper.

Can too much choice be a bad thing?

SuperCoaches have three double week teams to choose from in Round 1, with Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat featuring twice.

Filling the five batting and bowling spots available in SuperCoach BBL should be simple enough, with players such as Chris Lynn, Tom Curran and Daniel Sams prominent in initial team selections.

But how will you fit so many quality wicketkeeping choices into two spots?

Josh Philippe (Sixers), Tom Banton (Heat) and Matthew Gilkes (Thunder) are favoured to be their side’s starting gloveman, with Jimmy Peirson (Heat) and Peter Nevill (Sixers) available as $62,500 alternatives.

The beauty for SuperCoaches is the ability to choose Philippe, Gilkes, Banton, Peirson and Nevill as batsmen, which provides flexibility beyond the two wicketkeeping roles.

Josh Philippe celebrates a wicket with Jack Edwards during BBL08. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Here’s the case for and against starting with each of the Round 1 double game week keepers and where our experts are leaning:

JOSH PHILIPPE (Sydney Sixers) $123,000 WKP-BAT

The case for: Phillipe had the highest strike rate (158.3) of any batsman who made more than 110 runs in BBL08. He gave an indication of his obvious potential with knocks of 86 not out and 52 (31) after being elevated to open mid-tournament.

The case against: Is Philippe guaranteed to open? The keeper-batsman came in at No. 6 seven times in BBL08 and didn’t pass 20 until his ninth innings of the tournament when he blazed 86 not out from 49 balls against Hobart Hurricanes. Promisingly, he opened the batting in the Sixers’ last six matches.

Tom Banton reels in a catch in the field for England during a recent T20 international.

TOM BANTON (Brisbane Heat) $125,000 WKP-BAT

The case for: He’s an English international who earned a recent call-up after a stunning rise to prominence through the Vitality Blast, where he made 549 runs at a strike rate of 161. He was a lineball selection when listed as a BAT only but has become more appealing since being given WKP status.

The case against: How does he adapt to Australian conditions? Few Englishman have been able to translate Vitality Blast success to the BBL, although James Vince did last summer.

Matthew Gilkes slashes at a wide ball during his BBL debut last season.

MATTHEW GILKES (Sydney Thunder) $96,700 WKP-BAT

The case for: The young gun got a taste of the BBL last season and impressed with 51 from 38 balls. He’s the cheapest of the three Round 1 double game week glovemen and has made 135 runs in three games with a strike rate of 125 in this summer’s Marsh Cup.

The case against: Where does he bat? If Usman Khawaja isn’t in the Test team against New Zealand, he’ll almost certainly open with Alex Hales for the Thunder. Keeping points are not guaranteed, so Gilkes will need to bat in the top four to be a reliable SuperCoach contributor.

EXPERT PANEL

ANDREW WEAVER: Josh Philippe (WKP), Jimmy Peirson (bench) and Tom Banton (BAT)

PAIGE CARDONA: Josh Philippe (WKP), Jimmy Peirson (bench) and Matthew Gilkes (BAT)

TIM MICHELL: Josh Philippe (WKP), Peter Nevill (bench) and Matthew Gilkes (BAT)

TOM SANGSTER: Josh Philippe (WKP), Jimmy Peirson (bench), Tom Banton (BAT) and Matthew Gilkes (BAT)

FIVE STARTING TACTICS TO CONSIDER

START PHILIPPE AND BANTON

You can achieve this by naming either Philippe or Banton as a batsman. The English T20 international recently gained WKP status after he was originally listed as a BAT only.

The one and one approach SuperCoach wicketkeepers.

CHOOSE ONE OF BANTON, PHILIPPE OR GILKES

The popular options will be choosing two or Gilkes, Phillipe and Banton or naming all three. If you want a point of difference, name one and choose other double game week players instead.

The one out approach SuperCoach wicketkeepers.

STARTING ALEX CAREY

If you don’t plan on using Josh Philippe on field during his Round 3 double game week, start Australian T20 gloveman Alex Carey on your bench. You’ll be a trade ahead of your rivals who bring him in after Adelaide Strikers’ Round 1 bye.

The Carey plan ahead SuperCoach wicketkeepers.

LOAD UP ON VALUE KEEPERS

There’s serious value in the WKP-BAT stocks of BBL09. Banton, Philippe, Peter Handscomb, Cameron Bancroft and Ben McDermott will be top-order batsmen and are $125,000 or LESS. The money saved would be enough to start D’Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis and likely Round 1 skipper Tom Curran.

The loaded approach SuperCoach wicketkeepers.

START BANTON, GILKES AND PHILIPPE

The most popular Round 1 option from the initial sides entered. Gilkes represents value after featuring in the Marsh Cup for NSW, while Banton and Phillipe are slated to open the batting. The trio can help get your SuperCoach BBL team off to a flying start.

The pick them all SuperCoach wicketkeepers.

MORE SUPERCOACH BBL CONTENT

Star-studded squad lists / Top 10 young guns / Everything you need to know / Key dates to shape your season / Gun imports set to explode / New faces to target / How players earn points

Originally published as Should you start Tom Banton, Matthew Gilkes or Josh Philippe as your SuperCoach BBL wicketkeeper?