SuperCoach BBL study guide: Sydney Sixers

THE Sixers won the inaugural BBL tournament in 2010-11, but haven’t done much since. Is this the season they fire?

At the time of writing, the Sydney Sixers have 13 players signed for BBL|08, with five spots yet to fill.

The Sixers won the inaugural BBL tournament in 2010-11, but haven’t done much since. Moises Henriques returns to captain the side in 2018-19 after he stepped away for personal reasons in BBL|07, while English import Joe Denly will open the batting for the men in magenta.

The defection of top run-scorer Nic Maddinson to the Stars creates opportunity for somebody else to step up.

It isn’t all bad, as the Sixers stable some of Australia’s most promising youngsters in BBL|08.

THE GUN

It’s hard to look past English International, Joe Denly ($186,800) who smoked a ridiculous 146 runs in four games for the Sixers in BBL|07. Fresh from a stunning English T20 domestic season, where he became the first player to score a century and take a hattrick in the same game, Denly is a player who will deliver points and a point of difference.

Joe Denly is a key re-signing. Picture: Jonathan Ng

THE MID-PRICER

Daniel Hughes ($97,800) just snuck into the top 20 run scorers last year with 227 runs, and will no doubt bat inside the top three in BBL|08. Hughes is durable and will play every week. It is safe to assume more responsibility will fall to him with Maddinson’s departure.

THE POINT OF DIFFERENCE

Can you call a captain a point of difference? In this case, yes you can. Allrounder, Moises Henriques ($88,000) returns to the Sixers after stepping away from the game due to personal issues last year. He’ll bat inside the top four and undoubtedly do damage with the ball, but where does his point of difference come from? Scheduling. With most people taking the approach of loading up on players from teams who begin with a double in the opening weeks, Henriques poses as a good option who is underpriced and can rack up SuperCoach points.

Moises Henriques can produce with both bat and ball.

THE YOUNG GUNS

While the current Sixers roster looks pretty bleak, the most exciting aspect is the quality of youngsters the Sixers are stabling ahead of BBL|08. The Edwards brothers will be the first set of brothers to play together in the same team in the Big Bash League. Specifically, Jack Edwards ($42,000) scored a century in domestic one day cricket this season for the NSW Blues, becoming the youngest player to do so. Edwards’ crafty batting skills have him in the running to open for the Sixers.

Henry Thornton ($62,500) stands at 192cm, bowls quick and hits hard. Then, there’s Lloyd Pope ($62,500) who comes to the tournament as arguably the most hyped youngster in recent times. Dubbed the next Shane Warne, Pope bamboozles even the most seasoned batsmen with his spin.

THE BREAKOUT CONTENDER

Mickey Edwards ($62,500) only played one game for the Sixers last year, but with Nathan Lyon set to miss a chunk of the tournament with national duty, the older brother of Jack looms the likeliest to launch into the stratosphere for the Sixers in BBL|08. The towering quick has had injury setbacks over the past few years, but is in ripping knick, as demonstrated with his terrific form for NSW in the JLT Cup. With Sean Abbott the only outright bowling weapon for the Sixers, Edwards is likely to secure ample opportunity this summer.

THE BURN MAN

Don’t be fooled into thinking Nathan Lyon ($195,600) will deliver wickets for your SuperCoach team this year, because he won’t. It’s because he’ll play for the Test side this summer, and isn’t worth selecting. AVOID!

MORE SUPERCOACH BBL CONTENT

Cheapie Bible / Schedule analysis / L-plate guide / Batsmen prices revealed / Bowlers prices revealed / Top 100 players in BBL / SuperCoach scoring system revealed / 10 commandments / Best batsmen / Best all rounders / Best bowlers / Best wicket keepers / 10 fearless predictions / BBL’s international onslaught / Poms set to dominate Big Bash / West Indian guns-for-hire / Full squad list

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