SuperCoach BBL: Who are the five best Englishmen to pick in your starting side?
Few Englishman have been able to translate their form from the Vitality Blast to the Big Bash League. But with so many T20 internationals signed on for BBL09, that appears certain to change. Tim Michell rates the best English buys from one to five.
SuperCoach BBL
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach BBL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
James Vince was the exception to the rule.
The international top-order batsman has been one of the few Englishman to translate his form from England’s Vitality Blast into the Big Bash League.
Vince was one of the leading overseas batsmen in BBL08, compiling 269 runs in eight innings for Sydney Sixers.
The No. 3 batter will arrive in Australia as one of the in-form Twenty20 batsmen in the world and shapes as one of the best SuperCoach BBL buys of Round 1, when the Sixers play twice.
He is the third-leading run scorer in South Africa’s Msanzi Super League with 189 runs from four innings, which included a blistering knock of 86 not out from 53 balls for Paarl Rocks.
At $139,500, he’s the must-have Englishman in SuperCoach BBL.
Here’s the top-five English players to consider for your team:
1. James Vince (Sydney Sixers) $139,500 BAT
Vince has proven form in Australia, something few of his compatriots boast. You can start him with confidence as the Sixers play five times in the first three rounds. The only caveat will be if his form in South Africa leads Paarl Rocks into the Msanzi Super League final on December 17, the same day the BBL starts.
2. Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) $210,000 BAT-BWL
Paceman Curran will be a popular Round 1 captaincy choice after taking 20 wickets from 14 games in BBL08. Bowlers are the most likely source of SuperCoach points and Curran regular features at the death when most wickets fall. Like Vince, Curran could still be playing in South Africa when the BBL starts.
3. Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat) $125,000 WKP-BAT
The second-leading run scorer in the Vitality Blast this year behind Pakistan’s First Test centurion Babar Azam. The rising star of English cricket made his international debut in New Zealand and has a career T20 strike rate of 155. He smashed 80 from 28 balls in Abu Dhabi’s T10 league recently.
4. Chris Jordan (Perth Scorchers) $162,500 BWL
One of the world’s top T20 pacemen, Jordan has signed with his third BBL club after stints with Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder. Perth Scorchers have a double in Round 3 when Jordan, who took seven wickets from four games against New Zealand, will be irresistible.
5. Harry Gurney (Melbourne Renegades) $130,100 BWL
The left-arm seamer is a tricky customer renowned for his accurate slower balls. Gurney will be one of the most experienced T20 bowlers in the BBL after playing in the West Indies and England this year. The Renegades’ home pitch at Marvel Stadium is renowned as the best bowling deck in the BBL.
Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Who are the five best Englishmen to pick in your starting side?