KFC SuperCoach BBL late mail: All the latest whispers and team news
The top scorer in the opening game of Perth Scorchers’ double is in doubt for match two, while Hobart’s bowling stocks have taken another hit. Get the latest KFC SuperCoach news.
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KFC SuperCoach can be a fickle beast.
Kurtis Patterson owners were rejoicing in game one of the Scorchers double when he scored 113 points thanks to a career-best T20 knock of 78 from 48 balls against Hobart Hurricanes.
But their elation turned to frustration when Patterson failed to field and it emerged he had soreness in his quad.
“I just had a little bit of quad tightness. I haven’t got great history there. We took the safe option with the game in a few days. I’ll have a scan tomorrow but fingers crossed,” he told Channel 7.
The likelihood is Patterson will not recover in time to face Melbourne Renegades on Wednesday night and coaches will have to settle for his game one score.
The saving grace is a round score of 113 eclipsed Patterson’s break even of 86, so coaches at least won’t lose money.
Patterson has been a great early-season cash cow after starting the campaign at $62k.
Cameron Bancroft or Nick Hobson would be his likely replacement.
BOLAND CALLED INTO TEST SQUAD FOR BOXING DAY
Hobart Hurricanes’ pace stocks have taken another hit with Scott Boland included in the Australian squad for the Boxing Day Test.
While his inclusion appears to be a contingency for any issues in the pace ranks, it could yet mean Boland is unavailable for at least one game of the Round 6 double.
The Victorian quick was on drinks duties in Adelaide but with skipper Pat Cummins to return to the Test side, Michael Neser looms as the likely 12th man.
If Boland is ruled out, it will further stretch a Hurricanes side which is already missing Joel Paris due to a groin injury.
Englishman Jordan Thompson impressed as the X-Factor player in Round 4 while Riley Meredith was subbed out after bowling one over in a predetermined plan.
The Hurricanes later said they only took a cautious approach with Meredith’s return from injury and he should feature in both Round 6 fixtures.
FINCH’S ROUND 4 RETURN LOCKED IN
The news KFC SuperCoaches have been waiting for is in – Aaron Finch is back.
The $62k bargain of the season will play his first game of BBL11 against Perth Scorchers on Wednesday in welcome news for more than 25 per cent of teams who chose to start the Australian T20 skipper.
Finch has been sidelined with a knee injury but the Renegades confirmed on Monday he would make his long-awaited return by tweeting: “An early Christmas present. Finchy is back!”
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Finch is coming off his worst BBL campaign last summer, in which he averaged only 17.6 KFC SuperCoach points.
But his averages of 64.6 in BBL09, 41.4 in BBL08 and 86.9 in BBL06 are much more like what KFC SuperCoaches will be expecting.
Finch’s return is likely to be bad news for at least one KFC SuperCoach cheapie, with Jake Fraser-McGurk (12 per cent of teams) and James Seymour (19 per cent) the most likely players to make way.
Expect Finch’s ownership to rise sharply in coming rounds as coaches try to capitalise on his rock-bottom value.
THUNDER SIGNS FOURTH INTERNATIONAL
Sydney Thunder has bolstered its pace stocks with the signing of electric Pakistani quick Muhammad Hasnain.
The 21-year-old speedster has 85 wickets from 70 career T20s and has played eight ODIs and 18 T20 internationals for Pakistan.
Hasnain is known to reach speeds of more than 150km/h and is sure to cause plenty of issues for batters in the BBL.
“Muhammad is going to love bowling in Australia. We have faster pitches and bigger boundaries – conditions that are far more conducive to bowling fast than they are in Pakistan,” new teammate Ben Cutting told the Thunder website.
“I have no doubt he’s going to enjoy the experience, and I know he’ll be a tremendous addition to Sydney Thunder’s squad.”
Hasnain is the fourth international signing for the Thunder, joining Alex Hales, Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood, who took four wickets on debut against Brisbane Heat.
Meanwhile, the Sixers have signed Victorian off-spinner Todd Murphy ($42k BWL) as an injury replacement for Steve O’Keefe.
STAR RULED OUT IN BIG KFC SUPERCOACH BLOW
The worst fears of KFC SuperCoaches have been realised with Sydney Sixers star Tom Curran to take no further part in the BBL.
Curran returned to the field against the Stars in Round 3 after going off with back spasms. but the all-rounder has been ruled out with a hotspot in his back and will return to England.
With the Englishman in more than 15,000 KFC SuperCoach teams, a large chunk of the competition will be forced into a trade ahead of Round 4, which starts on Sunday night.
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ROUND 4 TRADE GUIDE: THE MUST-HAVE SCORCHERS STARS
But with Curran’s price still at $170k, despite the injury-affected score and the 28-point return in Round 3, it also creates opportunity.
For KFC SuperCoach with their trades – and for cash cow Hayden Kerr ($101,900 BWL), who could now get more responsibility in the Sixers attack.
On the trade front, think Scorchers, and maybe benching that extra Melbourne Stars player you were going to trade, given the team’s bye.
Click here to see all of the best Round 4 trade options.
In another injury blow, Hurricanes quick Joel Paris ($99,200 BWL), who is more than 9000 KFC SuperCoach teams, is also set to miss an extended period with a groin issue, with Hobart coach Adam Griffith only hopeful of getting Paris back for the “back-end of the tournament”.
AUSTRALIAN STARS TO RETURN
Brisbane Heat duo Mitch Swepson ($163,700 BWL) and Mark Steketee ($153,300 BWL) will return to the BBL this week after representing Australia A.
And the timing is significant with the Heat the next team to have a double-game round, sharing the Round 6 double with the Hurricanes.
Perth Scorchers stars Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis rejoined the BBL last week, while Strikers gun Matt Renshaw, who surprisingly took two wickets with the ball against the English Lions, is another name to watch out for on Tuesday night
SCORCHERS TO PLAY OUTSIDE WA
Perth Scorchers won’t play anymore games in Western Australia with the WA Government closing the border to every state. Tymal Mills was initially meant to miss out on the game against Hurricanes at Optus Stadium due to quarantine issues, but will now be available, given the rematch has been rescheduled in Hobart.
It’s big news for KFC SuperCoaches, who can now select Mills for Perth’s Round 4 double without any worries.
Originally published as KFC SuperCoach BBL late mail: All the latest whispers and team news
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