SuperCoach BBL: Adelaide Strikers Study Guide

The Adelaide Strikers went from chocolates to boiled lollies last season – what does their BBL|09 season hold from a SuperCoach perspective?

Rashid Khan of the Adelaide Strikers will be a key player not just for his side but for a heap of SuperCoach BBL teams too

The Adelaide Strikers went from chocolates to boiled lollies last season – only a final win over fellow cellar dweller Perth Scorchers saw them going from hero to zero last season.

That final win was all that was stopping the side from being the first since the Sydney Thunder in BBL|05 and BBL|06 to slip from champions the season before to the bottom of the table.

Touted as favourites for the tournament before it began, only really Rashid Khan was able to back up his outstanding previous season, and the Strikers clearly missed the leadership and batting skills of Travis Head.

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It will be interesting to see what, if any, role he has in Test side this year, and as such what availability he has in the BBL|09 season.

THE STAR: RASHID KHAN | BWL | 70.6 avg. in BBL|08 | $203,300 in BBL|09

Some considered Khan’s BBL|09 season last a bit of a let-down – he didn’t command quite the same number of headline inches as he did the first time around, when the Strikers ended the competition as the winners. With his side struggling last year, Khan was nevertheless a strong performer and it’s reasonable to expect that he’ll be another wicket-taking weapon third time around. It was tempting to add Travis Head in here, as it would – at this stage – seem unlikely that he will representing Australia this Big Bash season, and at just on $195,000 with Dual Position Player status he presents potentially terrific value.

Michael Neser of the Strikers – will he star or will he burn his owners in SuperCoach BBL?

THE BURN MAN: MICHAEL NESER | BAT / BWL | 45.9 avg. | $131,900

This could easily go one of two ways – either Neser becomes the breakout player for the Strikers and earn a trip to India in January or alternatively he could continue to average sub-50 point output in SuperCoach in BBL|09, thus costing a pretty penny but not really worth his price point. He’s a tricky one to judge.

THE YOUNG GUN: WES AGAR | BWL | 32.5 avg. | $84,200

The younger brother of Scorchers’ tweaker Ashton, Wes is instead a tall quick who extracts great bounce out of the pitch. With only two outings last season, he strikes as the sort of player who could emerge as one of the finds of the upcoming Big Bash season – his best figures of 2/33 in Adelaide’s 41-run victory over the Stars last summer included a team-high 11 dot balls.

Jake Lehmann of the Strikers needs a big season for the Strikers

THE POINT OF DIFFERENCE: JAKE LEHMANN | BAT | 19.6 avg. | $62,500

The Son of Boof had a season to forget in BBL|08 – he failed to make a score of 50 and rolled his arm for two overs and got smacked for 26 runs without claiming a wicket. Batting lower in the order than expected, he only suited up nine times. His low, low price point makes him a serious POD though – if he performs to his undoubted talent, then his owners will be laughing.

THE BREAKOUT CONTENDER: BILLY STANLAKE | BWL | 37.6 avg. | $108,300

Stanlake could easily have been swapped with Neser as a burn man contender for SuperCoach BBL|09 season – if he plays well, he could earn a call-up to the Australian squad to tour India, but if he fails to match the form of BBL|07 that saw the Strikers win the championship then he’s an awkwardly priced player to have positioned in your SuperCoach side.

MORE SUPERCOACH BBL NEWS:

> How dots can make SuperCoach BBL difference

> Which stars have started their white ball season well?

> Plan your season – when teams are on byes, who has double rounds, and international disruption

> Shane Warne’s star-studded SuperCoach team

THE MID-PRICER: CAMERON WHITE | BAT | 26.8 avg. | $77,200

White’s role for the Strikers is going to be fascinating to see – as a former Australian T20I Melbourne Stars AND Melbourne Renegades captain, White has joined the Strikers ranked as the fifth-highest runscorer in Big Bash history. He was a vital player for the Renegades when they beat the Stars in last season’s grand final; can he continue his winning ways with the Strikers?

Jake Weatherald of the Strikers celebrates with the confetti after winning the Big Bash League Final match in BBL|07 – can the Strikers get back there?

ADELAIDE STRIKERS BBL|09 SQUAD:

Name	Position	BBL|08 Games	BBL|08 avg.	BBL|09 Price
Rashid Khan	BWL	14	70.6	$203,300
Travis Head	BAT / BWL	3	28.3	$195,100
Alex Carey	WKP / BAT	12	48.6	$139,800
Michael Neser	BAT / BWL	13	45.9	$131,900
Peter Siddle	BWL	6	45.3	$130,400
Phil Salt	BAT	0	0	$125,000
Jon Wells	BAT	14	40.1	$115,500
Jake Weatherald	BAT	14	37.9	$108,900
Billy Stanlake	BWL	11	37.6	$108,300
Ben Laughlin	BWL	13	37.3	$107,300
Cameron Valente	BWL	7	33.3	$95,800
Liam O'Connor	BWL	7	31.9	$91,700
Wes Agar	BWL	2	32.5	$84,200
Cameron White	BAT	11	26.8	$77,200
Harry Nielsen	WKP / BAT	5	26.2	$75,400
Matthew Short	BAT	11	25.6	$73,800
Jake Lehmann	BAT	9	19.6	$62,500
Nick Winter	BWL	0	0	$42,000
Harry Conway	BWL	0	0	$42,000

Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Adelaide Strikers Study Guide