Australia one-day stars return to Big Bash as double game weeks loom large in SuperCoach BBL

A host of one-day stars return in time for Big Bash League Round 9 and it’s time for SuperCoaches to start planning for a raft of looming double game weeks. TOP TRADE TARGETS

Marcus Stoinis in action for Melbourne Stars.

The destination of the SuperCoach BBL prize will likely be decided in the next three rounds.

In recent game weeks, primary trade targets have been obvious.

There was Hobart Hurricanes dynamo D’Arcy Short in Round 8, Adelaide Strikers spin wizard Rashid Khan in Round 7 and Brisbane Heat slugger Chris Lynn in Round 6.

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The picture is much foggier between rounds 9 and 11.

Melbourne Renegades have a double next round, but five teams then share the double across Round 10 and Round 11.

Melbourne Stars will have their Australian one-day players back when they have the double in Round 10, when Perth Scorchers also figure twice.

Aaron Finch will return for Melbourne Renegades in Round 9.

If that seems complicated, the Strikers, Heat and Hurricanes then have a double in Round 11.

Plan A revolves around targeting Renegades this round, with Australian one-day captain Aaron Finch looming as the must-have pick.

But if you are serious about contending for the SuperCoach BBL crown, you need to consider how you will maximise your scores in Round 10 and Round 11.

Double game rounds do not guarantee maximum scores, but they are the most likely source of totals in excess of 100.

Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, Dwayne Bravo, Jason Behrendorff, Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh and Jhye Richardson will be available in Round 10, when their BBL teams play twice.

Try fitting them into three trades.

Alex Carey is set to return for Adelaide Strikers. Picture: Stephen Harman

Then come Round 11, Rashid Khan, Alex Carey, Chris Lynn, Jofra Archer, Short, Jake Weatherald, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and the resurgent Brendon McCullum will have doubles.

Your strategy will ultimately determine which path you take and could decide the outcome of your SuperCoach season.

Those brave enough to overlook Renegades in Round 9 could be rewarded in the long run, although you also risk being burned if Finch, Dan Christian, Kane Richardson and co enjoy a successful double.

Teams at the pointy end of the rankings inevitably look similar by this point of the campaign.

The next three rounds are where you can set yourself apart from the other contenders by making the right calls and forward planning to load your team for the all-important rounds 10 and 11.

Kane Richardson has been one of Melbourne Renegades’ best bowlers.

TOP TARGETS

Aaron Finch

The Australian captain has only played once this season for the Renegades, scoring 42 from 39 balls against Hobart. Finch has one of the most imposing records of any Twenty20 batsman in Australia, averaging 39.8 with a strike rate of 140. That equates to about 60 SuperCoach points per innings. The only question mark is the Renegades playing on tricky batting wickets at Docklands and Spotless Stadium.

Dan Christian

The highest-scoring Renegades player this season, Christian averaged more than 60 SuperCoach points in the opening six rounds. The Renegades have been struggling in recent rounds and you sense Christian might be called upon more often with bat and ball. His experience will be vital if the Renegades are to turn their campaign around.

Kane Richardson

Richardson was the Renegades premier death bowler in the early rounds before missing games due to a hamstring issue. He burned a few coaches in the Round 6 double game week when he missed the second match due to injury, but his scoring potential cannot be denied.

Jason Behrendorff

The big left-armer has been brilliant with the new ball for Perth Scorchers, snaring eight wickets in six games with an economy rate of 5.9. Behrendorff is averaging a wicket every 16 balls in BBL08 and you won’t want to be without him in Round 10.

Marcus Stoinis

Coaches will be hopeful Stoinis will be thrust back to the top of the Melbourne Stars order when he returns from one-day international duties. Stoinis was superb in his last two games before the ODI series, taking four wickets and compiling 34 and 78 not out. His price will keep rising as a result.

Shaun Marsh is in strong form after the one-dayers against India.

POD MOVES

Harry Gurney

Gurney made his debut in Round 7 as the replacement for Usman Khan Shinwari and is still incredibly cheap for a player who should bowl four overs every game. The experienced English seamer was in less than one per cent of teams at the start of Round 8.

Liam Plunkett

Plunkett is nowhere near as cheap as his compatriot Gurney, but the English paceman is an important member of the Melbourne Stars bowling attack. He took six wickets including a haul of 4-36 in his opening three matches of BBL08 for the Stars and was last round in only 642 teams.

Shaun Marsh

Dropped from the Test squad to face Sri Lanka, Marsh is likely to partner Michael Klinger at the top of Perth Scorchers batting line-up or slot in at No.3. Marsh averages 49.5 in the BBL with a strike rate of 128.5 and is available for only $103,900. He could be one of the buys of BBL08.

Cameron Bancroft

Bancroft hit consecutive half-centuries against Melbourne Stars and Sydney Sixers, with his matchwinning 87 not out against the Sixers putting him firmly on the SuperCoach radar. His high price might be prohibitive, but he needs to be considered.

Adam Zampa

The Australian one-day spinner has an impressive record in the BBL, averaging a wicket per game with an economy rate of about seven runs per over. He’s delivered close to those averages in BBL08 and players of his quality are rarely available for $123,300.

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Originally published as Australia one-day stars return to Big Bash as double game weeks loom large in SuperCoach BBL