SuperCoach BBL: Can the Perth Scorchers put heat back in the furnace? A Study Guide ahead of BBL|09
There are a lot of unknowns about the Perth Scorchers heading into their comeback campaign. The perennial Big Bash finalists had a horror season last time around, finishing stone motherless last on the ladder in BBL|08. A new season brings new opportunity.
SuperCoach BBL
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperCoach BBL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There are a lot of unknowns about the Perth Scorchers heading into their comeback campaign. The perennial Big Bash finalists had a horror season last time around, finishing stone motherless last on the ladder in BBL|08.
Stream international cricket Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS including every Australian Test, ODI and T20I on home soil. Get your 14-day free trial >
Their side will be vastly different this coming season, having lost veterans Maxi Klinger (retired) and Shaun Marsh (Renegades) at the top of the order, but they do have some potentially huge middle order hitting power with Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Turner.
It means a lot of pressure will immediately be upon their international acquisition, Liam Livingstone, who it is reasonable to expect will be appearing at the top of the order for the Scorchers as well as being a strong chance of bowling his full quota of overs.
Register for SuperCoach BBL now!
He’ll need to, as the Scorchers’ pace depth will be sorely tested. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Hilton Cartwright have both defected to the Stars, while Andrew Tye is battling an elbow injury and Jason Behrendorff has been ruled out for the entire summer with stress fractures. It definitely creates huge opportunities for the likes of Jhye Richardson and less experienced trio Cameron Green, Matthew Kelly, and Joel Paris to step up.
THE STAR: MITCH MARSH | BAT / BWL | 37.1 avg. in BBL|08 | $179,700 in BBL|09
Seemingly on the outer of the Australian set-up, Mitch Marsh is the lowest highest-priced player per team in the SuperCoach competition, coming in 15th overall ahead of season start. What role he plays for the Scorchers will be interesting to watch – could he move up the batting order and potentially be used as an opener? Or will he stick to being a middle order master blaster alongside Ashton Turner? With the Scorchers double match Rounds (3, 6, and 9) and bye Rounds (5 and 7) close together, it makes for an intriguing trade and selection opportunity.
THE BURN MAN: JASON BEHRENDORFF | BWL | 49.6 avg. | $142,800
Sadly, Behrendorff has broken down and will miss the entire summer. In short, don’t have him in your side!
MORE SUPERCOACH BBL STUDY GUIDES:
> Adelaide Strikers SuperCoach BBL|09 preview
> Brisbane Heat SuperCoach BBL|09 preview
> Hobart Hurricanes BBL|09 preview
> Melbourne Renegades BBL|09 preview
> Melbourne Stars BBL|09 preview
> Sydney Sixers BBL|09 preview
Register for SuperCoach BBL now!
THE YOUNG GUN: CAMERON GREEN | BWL | 12.0 avg. | $42,000
Of late, Green has put his name in lights not with the ball but the willow instead, with a blazing century in the first round of the Sheffield Shield. Originally he was touted as one of the pace bowlers to watch when he became the youngest player to take a five-wicket haul on debut in the Sheffield Shield back in February 2017, capturing 5/24 from 8.1 overs. He immediately broke down with injury but he is now looking like a genuine all-round option, which makes him all the more valuable in SuperCoach, despite the fact that he is only available to be selected as a bowler at this point in time.
THE POINT OF DIFFERENCE: LIAM LIVINGSTONE | BAT / BWL | 0 games in BBL | $125,000
It’s hard to know what to expect from Livingstone – he’s yet to play in Perth, but he has a vast amount of experience having played for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast in England and the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL in India. He’s currently suiting up for the Cape Town Blitz in the Mzansi Super League, South Africa’s domestic T20 competition, which concludes on December 16. It indicates that he’ll be an important import for the Scorchers and available for the entire season, and has a strong domestic T20 record – the tall right-hander has scored 1,795 runs from 77 T20 matches at an average of 27.19, with eight fifties and a hundred, plus taken 28 wickets at an economy of 7.78 with his leg-breaks.
THE BREAKOUT CONTENDER: JOEL PARIS | BWL | 0 games in BBL|08 | $81,000
Australia loves a left-arm quick, and Paris looms as an interesting SuperCoach option ahead of this season. He is nicely priced and at the right age to stake a serious claim as a player of note, turning 27 the week prior to the beginning of BBL|09. He’s another player who has struggled with injuries as he’s developed, but if he can have a clean run of injury then he will be a vital player for a young Scorchers’ bowling unit.
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
Register for SuperCoach BBL now!
THE MID-PRICER: ASHTON AGAR | BAT / BWL | 46.3 avg. | $122,400
Agar’s form for Australia at short-form cricket creates a conundrum in terms of selecting him in SuperCoach – there is no reason why he wouldn’t be part of the touring party that will head to India in mid-January. If the SCG Test is a spinning surface then he’d be a chance of being picked as secondary support for Nathan Lyon there too, which would rule him out of a chunk of the Big Bash season. Do you back him for the first part of the season and then look to trade him out, and possibly need to get him back in as BBL|09 comes to a conclusion? Dilemmas, dilemmas!
PERTH SCORCHERS BBL|09 SQUAD:
Register for SuperCoach BBL now!
Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Can the Perth Scorchers put heat back in the furnace? A Study Guide ahead of BBL|09
How to enjoy live cricket with fantasy game SuperCoach BBL
Take the thrills of Australia’s elite Twenty20 league to a new level by playing fantasy cricket for free. Find out how SuperCoach BBL makes being a cricket fan even more fun, and how to get started.
How to get the fantasy cricket app SuperCoach BBL
SuperCoach BBL has become the must-play, free fantasy cricket competition for fans. Now is the time to sharpen your skills and develop a winning strategy.