SuperCoach BBL: Battle of the sloggers - would you rather Chris Lynn or Aaron Finch in your team?

They’re two of the heavy hitters of the Big Bash League. Chris Lynn, the captain of the Brisbane Heat and Aaron Finch, Melbourne Renegades’ opener. Between them, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rooftop on any cricket pitch in the country that hasn’t been #blessed with a ball from either slogger.

Australia's Chris Lynn and Aaron Finch walk out to bat during the T20 International match between Australia and South Africa, at Metricon Stadium, on the Gold Coast, Saturday, November 17, 2018.

They’re two of the heavy hitters of the Big Bash League. Chris Lynn, the captain of the Brisbane Heat and Aaron Finch, Melbourne Renegades’ opener. Between them, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rooftop on any cricket pitch in the country that hasn’t been #blessed with a ball from either slogger.

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With both priced fairly similarly, just who should you start with?

WHY LYNN?

Let’s face it, this guy could place a white ball on the moon if he wanted to. Lynn got off to a rocketing start in SuperCoach BBL last year but, much like the Heat, capitulated and struggled for points in the back half of the tournament. His last six outings were the stuff of nightmares for SuperCoaches, averaging just 11.3 SuperCoach points from those six games which included two donuts and a DNB (did not bat). Ouch!

However, the past is just that. Looking forward to BBL|09, Lynn owners could be in for a treat. You can’t keep a good man down for long and if Lynn’s domestic form is anything to go by of recent times (see T10 league!), then he’s back on an upward trajectory.

For a start, the Heat open their account with a double game week, so picking Lynn based on that alone makes immediate sense. He also makes for a handy captain or loophole choice, too.

But there might be cause for concern about Lynn’s time at the crease being limited. While it’s yet to be determined how the Heat will line up, English import Tom Banton could partner Max Bryant at the top of the order, leaving Lynn at first drop, which, depending on how you view it, could be either a good or bad thing.

WHY FINCH?

He made a name for himself as a terroriser of boundaries and a wizard of smashing bowlers into submission in the short-form game and there might not be a better, more reliable hitter than the Gades’ Aaron Finch.

But the pros and cons with selecting an opening batsmen make them real risk-reward types in SuperCoach BBL. However you can just about bank on Finch most weeks to score well as his ceiling, demonstrated by his one-time score of 225, is so high. There’s almost FOMO (fear of missing out) surrounding Finch and with good reason. One massive game and his price will not only spike but it’ll leave coaches playing catchup in an attempt to make up for missed points.

The fact that this world-class batsmen is cheaper than Lynn makes him unavoidable in conversation when deciding on your final batting line-up. At $167,000, he isn’t going to be any cheaper than that in this tournament.

But let’s discuss why Finch is so cheap and to do so, we’ll need to wind the clock back to BBL|08. SuperCoach BBL expert Andrew Weaver made note recently that after Finch was missing the bulk of the season with the Test side last year, he struggled to adjust to the pace upon return to the Big Bash; so, the mere fact that Finch looks ready to suit up for an entire season (or close to) of BBL makes him all the more exciting for prospective coaches.

In terms of scoring consistency, Finch’s standard deviation reads as the middle of the road. But fellow SuperCoach BBL expert Tim Mitchell pointed out that it’s only because of his ridiculously high ceiling.

Finch might be out of favour for a Test call-up for the first part of the summer, but he’s a sure-fire winner when it comes to SuperCoach BBL selection.

WHY NOT BOTH?

Lynn is a lock based on his discounted price and due to Brisbane’s opening double game week. He gets two bites of the cherry in Round 1 and I’m backing Lynn to lead by example to help get the new-look Heat off to a flyer after a super disappointing campaign last season.

But Finch is simply world-class, and certainly a superstar in this format. The Renegades look even stronger this year than they did in their championship-winning season last year and Finch will play a major role in steering them up the ladder if they’re to compete again.

But with facts over feelings, these are two class acts who’ll be hanging around for the bulk of the season. If you don’t start either, in the case of Lynn you face an early loss of double points opportunity. In regards to Finch, blink and you’ll miss a monster score and spend the rest of your time potentially using two trades to buy him in.

Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Battle of the sloggers - would you rather Chris Lynn or Aaron Finch in your team?