Why Shaun Marsh is the must-have SuperCoach BBL player from Melbourne Renegades

Shaun Marsh or Aaron Finch? While you should have both in your SuperCoach BBL team by Round 5, which is the priority? Tim Michell makes the case for targeting Marsh first.

Forget everything you know about SuperCoach BBL for the next few minutes.

SuperCoach provides rich rewards to bowlers who regularly take wickets and accumulate dot balls, while all-rounders have always been the No. 1 source of points.

Batsmen are without doubt a much riskier proposition and best avoided when possible.

Approaching Round 5, which starts on January 2, you can ignore this conventional wisdom.

Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch should be the top trade targets for Round 5, when Melbourne Renegades host Sydney Sixers before taking on Melbourne Stars.

Shaun Marsh has made a strong start to his career with Melbourne Renegades.

You can mount an argument against picking any batsmen for both fixtures.

Marvel Stadium had the lowest average score in BBL08 and the Sixers have a formidable bowling attack.

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The Stars will boast Dale Steyn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sandeep Lamichhane and Adam Zampa when the two Melbourne sides clash on January 4.

Regardless, risking Marsh in particular is asking for trouble.

The veteran left-hander is the in-form white-ball batsman in Australia and has made 134 runs in three innings for the Renegades.

While they have been stretched over the past three years due to international duties, the numbers from Marsh’s last 10 BBL appearances make for staggering reading.

Four half-centuries, a top score of 96 not out and a strike rate above 140.

Renowned as a nervous starter, Marsh has been out three times during that period for eight runs or less.

But when he’s got to double figures, he’s gone on to make at least 30 runs in every innings.

If you’ve watched any Renegades games and not had him in your team, you’ll know it’s a nerve-jangling experience.

Finch has the benefit of batting during the power play and has been opening alongside Sam Harper.

But Marsh’s ability at this level is without par.

The 36-year-old is the fifth highest run scorer in BBL history with 1569 runs but has only played 40 career games, considerably less than those above him — Ben Dunk (1593 runs, 69 games), Michael Klinger (1947, 71), Finch (1996, 57) and Chris Lynn (2054, 66).

His consistency means you can bring him in for Round 4 (when the Renegades host Adelaide), double up in Round 5, then carry him for the rest of the season.

The player Finch recently said is the most underrated T20 batsman in the world should be your No. 1 target for rounds 4 and 5, ahead of even the Australian short-form skipper.

Originally published as Why Shaun Marsh is the must-have SuperCoach BBL player from Melbourne Renegades