SuperCoach BBL: it was a topsy-turvy round with just one sure-fire thing... the Stars were winners!

The Strikers got revenge upon the Heat in a reverse rout, the Sixers suffering from rain-affected results that also saw the Hurricanes’ player scores suffer accordingly, and the Stars kept on keeping on in a crazy Round 10...what is in store in Round 11?

Nic Maddinson had the sort of game where he could takes catches with his eyes shut!

It was a topsy-turvy round, with the Strikers getting revenge upon the Heat at home in a reverse rout, the Sixers on the double having a nightmare in the second Sydney Smash for BBL|09 and suffering from a rain-affected results that also saw the Hurricanes’ player scores suffer accordingly. The one consistency of the round? The Stars keep on winning!

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After Jackson Coleman’s 100 point debut over in the west, the Stars surprised by finding ANOTHER wicket-taking weapon – rather than them unearthing another quick like Haris Rauf, however, it was their ostensible BAT option Nic Maddinson who turned destroyer, capturing three wickets and bowling his full four overs, as well as taking a couple of catches, including a ripper off his own bowling.

Up in Sydney for the last match of the round, the Thunder unleashed Gurinder Sandhu for his debut for the season, and he promptly took a wicket with his first ball as they routed their cross-town rivals for just 74 runs in another weather-shortened match-up. Chris Morris was electric with the ball, but it was his soccer skills that kicked off the collapse.

BOOM OF THE ROUND: NIC MADDINSON | MELBOURNE STARS | BAT | 119 points

Maddinson has not set the world on fire with the bat in BBL|09; why not throw him the ball? In truth it wasn’t as if Maddinson was bowling particularly well – there was a fair bit of short balls in there that weren’t put away and some rank full tosses. But everything seemed to work; he took the big wicket of Cam Bancroft off one of those, snagging a tough caught-and-bowled shot that begged the question as to whether it was better than the one that Zampa took off Kohli in India.

BUST OF THE ROUND: MAX BRYANT | BRISBANE HEAT | BAT | 1 point

Too many 0s to pick from this round, so instead we’re picking on someone who has already been picked on by his coach, Darren Lehmann. Last year Bryant showed all the signs of replacing McCullum as a Bash Brother, but instead his season has failed to deliver, and his SuperCoach BBL average of 23.7 flatters his BBL|09 batting average of 14.3. There’d have to be uncertainty around his position with the Heat for the remainder of the season.

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Liam O'Connor of the Strikers had a game to remember

UNIQUE OF THE ROUND: LIAM O’CONNOR | ADELAIDE STRIKERS | BWL | 119 points | 0.8% ownership

Debuting in Brisbane in Round 9, O’Connor’s first match in BBL|09 was nothing to write home about, with 33 points to his name and figures of 1/22 from his three overs, as his side was belted by the home team. But back at Adelaide Oval it was a completely different story, and O’Connor played a massive role in the reverse rout, capturing 3/40 from his full quote of four overs. With his price on the rise and the Strikers due to have the double in Round 13, if you want to get him in now could be the time to do so.

PLAYERS TO TARGET NEXT ROUND

Aside from the aforementioned O’Connor, there’s a few players who look to be in ripping form, and with no teams on bye before the home and away competition comes to a close in Round 13, it could be time to use your three trades wisely, looking ahead to those who have doubles, and those who have new roles that have seen them markedly increase their points total.

JAMES PATTINSON | BRISBANE HEAT | BWL | 83.0 avg. | $139.900

After ripping through the Strikers at the Gabba, Pattinson was a late withdrawal for the return match at Adelaide Oval. If judging from his previous performance, it’s impossible to ignore his form – only the debut of Haris Rauf will stop James Pattinson’s performance with the Brisbane Heat against the Strikers from being the spell of the season. He was simply magnificent, capturing 5/33 from his full quota of four overs as he helped destroy the Strikers, bowling them out for 110. That result saw his price increase by just $13,000 or so to $139,900, so – illness permitting – we’re willing to bet he’ll be in more SuperCoach sides in Round 11 and beyond.

DANIEL CHRISTIAN | MELBOURNE RENEGADES | BAT / BWL | 35.6 avg. | $104,600

If Christian maintains his immediate pre-bye form, he’s a must-buy. Coming in at third drop he clubbed 21 from 12 balls and perhaps even more importantly claimed 3/14 from two overs – by the time the Renegades hit their next double round in Round 13, his price could well have ballooned, with his elevation to the captaincy in Aaron Finch’s absence seemingly inspiring him to the sort of form that was expected prior to the season beginning.

HILTON CARTWRIGHT | MELBOURNE STARS | BAT | 40.8 avg. | $133,100

Only getting a go opening with Marcus Stoinis after Nic Maddinson was ruled out a few rounds back with an injury, Cartwright has staked his claim as the perfect partner at the top of the Stars’ order. Since his elevation up the order, Cartwright has banked scores of 100, 22, and 77, including carrying his bat in his most recent innings against the Scorchers. While he’s not rolling his arm over, as he has in the past, if he’s opening and he maintains his scoring ability – particularly at a healthy Strike Rate of 121.5 – then he’s at a reasonable price point to bring in now while in form.

PLAYERS TO AVOID NEXT ROUND

Sadly, Melbourne Stars’ Pakistani pace sensation Haris Rauf may have played his last match for BBL|09. Called up to his nation’s T20 squad, he looks set to embark upon an exciting new chapter of his cricketing career and it’s hopeful that he will return to the Big Bash for many years to come. With no teams on the bye and none on the double in Round 11, it’s an open slather as to who to pick and not to pick, but here’s a couple that we just can’t have faith in...now watch them surprise and rack up points totals that make us blush.

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AB de Villiers of the Heat congratulates Phil Salt of the Strikers after he hit the winning runs

AB DE VILLIERS | BRISBANE HEAT | BAT | 37.5 avg. | $210,300

After having a strong first up showing for the Heat, AB was much like his fellow Brisbane players and simply couldn’t get cooking at Adelaide Oval. In order to maintain his price point, he’ll need to score close to 80 points each round, and there’s a 50/50 chance that he could be a bit cheaper in Round 12 – which would be perfect as that’s when Brisbane have their final double up in SuperCoach BBL. He’s a player that you should WANT in your squad, but the query is whether or not you need him this round or next.

NIC MADDINSON | MELBOURNE STARS | BAT | 31.0 avg. | $88,300

It seems incredibly unlikely that the Maddinson who ripped through the Scorchers will be a regular wicket-taking weapon. As such, it’s impossible to justify picking him for his batting – he’s had a pretty average run of scores in his second season with the Stars. Only facing 91 balls for the season thus far, he’s made 94 runs with a highest score of 40; despite his heroics with the ball in hand against the Scorchers, it’s just impossible to justify trading him in thanks to one spellbinding bowling performance.

Daniel Sams of the Thunder celebrates

CAPTAIN’S CHOICE

The beauty of a ‘clean’ round – where every team plays once – is that it’s open slather and a complete luck of the draw as to whether or not your captain will be worth their double. As witnessed throughout the course of the season so far, a double round means nothing if your skipper on the double double fails; instead, often it’s better to go with a safer option such as Rashid Khan or Daniel Sams who are such reliable points accumulators that they make it worth having the armband on them every time. Alternatively, of course, you can go completely left field – like the lucky so-and-so who had Nic Maddinson as their captain in Round 10!

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Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: it was a topsy-turvy round with just one sure-fire thing... the Stars were winners!