SuperCoach BBL must haves: Five players every team should pick for BBL15
The fantasy Gods have blessed SuperCoach BBL teams heading into BBL15 with some of the game’s best scorers having an early double. We name the five players every team should have.
A few bargains, plenty of doubles and a standout captaincy pick.
The ingredients to SuperCoach BBL success sound simple enough.
The SuperCoach Gods have blessed us this year by putting Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes on the double in round 1.
That means stars such as Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Sean Abbott, Matthew Wade and Ben Dwarshuis play twice.
After that it’s Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder on the double in round 2, bringing a host of underpriced players such as Michael Neser and Daniel Sams into the frame.
Getting your starting team right goes a long way to a successful SuperCoach BBL summer.
These are the five players every team should start to capitalise on the early fixture.
Ben Dwarshuis $146,800 BWL
Dwarshuis has long been one of the premier scorers in SuperCoach BBL and looms as one of the best captaincy picks for the Sixers’ opening round double. He was averaging 81.5 SuperCoach after three rounds last summer and scored 67 or better in five of the nine rounds. Dwarshuis had a career-best BBL with the bat in BBL14, scoring 146 runs at a strike rate 173. The last time he took less than 14 BBL wickets was eight years ago.
Mitch Owen $192,800 BAT-BWL
You would have to be incredibly brave, mad or a mixture of both to go without Owen in Hobart’s round 1 double. Owen went as high as 219 SuperCoach points in one round last season and is the type of player who could leave you a long way behind if you start without him. Owen only failed to get to 20 (when the SuperCoach strike rate bonus kicks in) three times last season. At the rate he scores, that’s a guaranteed 45-point headstart in most matches. He might pick up the odd over too, but is more likely the sixth or seventh bowling option. After a recent injury scare, it seems Owen will be fit for the start of the BBL.
Aaron Hardie $74,800 BAT-BWL
My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw this price. Hardie has started the last two SuperCoach campaigns at more than $170k and been a linchpin of Perth’s top-order. Hardie ranked fourth for total SuperCoach points in BBL13 and seventh in BBL12 yet is the 97th most expensive player going into BBL15. That’s because he only bowled two overs last season and managed 120 runs in seven innings. Expect that bowling output to lift significantly with doubts over Jhye Richardson (shoulder), Jason Behrendorff moving to the Renegades and Andrew Tye still unsigned. A bargain who could be a season keeper.
Michael Neser $93,000 BAT-BWL
Smart SuperCoaches are always looking a round or two ahead on the BBL fixture. Unlike AFL and NRL, rounds only last a couple of days and a key part of your planning needs to be how you will maximise doubles in future rounds. That’s where Neser comes in — pending Ashes selection anyway. Brisbane Heat has a double in round 2 and Neser is hugely underpriced after being restricted to four games by injury in BBL14. Lock him in on your starting bench and then unleash Neser in round 2 when Brisbane play the Scorchers and Thunder.
Jack Edwards $113,700 BAT-BWL
All-rounders are the fast track to SuperCoach BBL success and Edwards looks primed for a big role for the Sixers. Fellow all-rounder Sam Curran will still be in the middle east playing in the ILT20 during the BBL’s early rounds, which only adds to the importance Edwards will play batting in the top six and bowling regular overs. Edwards has taken 19 wickets across the last two BBL campaigns and there’s still a chance he could bat in the top three too.
Originally published as SuperCoach BBL must haves: Five players every team should pick for BBL15
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