SuperCoach BBL mid-season stocktake: Hits and misses of the first seven rounds
Faster than a Haris Rauf yorker, half the BBL season has flashed by. It’s going to be a frantic race to the finish in SuperCoach BBL as coaches battle for the $25,000 grand prize. Here’s the leading performers so far and the top trade targets for the run home.
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Seven rounds down.
Six — plus finals — to come.
The fast and chaotic game that is SuperCoach BBL has swiftly reached its midway point.
There has been several notable performances from the BBL’s most-prolific stars, none bigger than Chris Lynn’s 189 when he plundered 94 from 35 balls against Sydney Sixers.
Hobart Hurricanes spinner Qais Ahmad set the mark to beat when he amassed 180 SuperCoach points in Round 1 after snaring 4-12 in an inspired spell in Alice Springs.
But the Brisbane Heat skipper went nine points better two days later, launching 11 sixes in a commanding performance which rewarded those who held him.
The plans of thousands of coaches were thrown into turmoil when smoke haze caused a match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers to be abandoned when Rashid Khan had only bowled two balls.
SuperCoach BBL can be frustrating, with uncontrollable factors such as weather, the coin toss and dropped catches influencing the outcome of each round.
But when you consider the plight of many Australians enduring the bushfire crisis, it puts a low-scoring round into stark perspective.
You can still sign up for SuperCoach, with $1000 and Kayo subscriptions up for grabs every round.
MORE SUPERCOACH BBL:
Will Brisbane Heat’s marquee signing AB De Villiers be out of reach in SuperCoach BBL?
How important are double game weeks to SuperCoach BBL success?
Marnus Labuschagne will be the SuperCoach BBL buy of the season after returning from India
SuperCoach BBL: Three ways to save your season
TOP-10 TEAMS
NathanAstle32, Jarryd — 8292 points
Team maher, Nathan — 7917
Yang gang, Paul — 7858
TheRookies, Mathew — 7817
Franky’s Faves, Frank — 7776
Sir Steven, Glen — 7769
Watto’s Front Pad, Emmanuel — 7719
Legend20, Hayden — 7716
rugzy boi, Regan — 7697
Power2Win, Andrew — 7695
TOP PLAYERS
Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars) — 716 points
Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) — 689
Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers) — 599
Daniel Sams (Sydney Thunder) — 588
Ben Dwarshuis (Sydney Sixers) — 511
Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers) — 503
Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) — 494
Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars) — 460
Callum Ferguson (Sydney Thunder) — 458
Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) — 457
HIGHEST GAME SCORES
Chris Lynn – 189 R2 v Sixers
Qais Ahmad – 180 R1 v Sixers
D’Arcy Short – 173 R6 v Scorchers
Tom Curran – 165 R7 v Strikers
Glenn Maxwell — 164 R7 v Renegades
Haris Rauf – 156 R2 v Hurricanes
Josh Philippe – 150 R1 v Scorchers
Chris Lynn – 148 R5 v Hurricanes
Glenn Maxwell – 146 R1 v Heat
Kane Richardson 145 R2 v Scorchers
Rashid Khan – 145 R4 v Renegades
ROUND WINNERS
Round 1: Nathanastle32, Jarryd: 1757 points
Round 2: Smithtown, Lee: 1210
Round 3: Watto’s Front Pad, Emmanuel: 1818
Round 4: Mcchamps, David: 1379
Round 5: Peahad, Ben: 1234
Round 6: Square Legs, Wil: 1290
Round 7: Ducksnuts, Tristan: 1536
TOP LEAGUES
Fantasy Hub Force — Avg per round: 1020.3
Inner sanctum — Avg per round: 1019.7
The Big Bashers — Avg per round: 1017.3
1 hand, 1 bounce — Avg per round: 1011.6
Fantasy Hub Stars — Avg per round: 1006.2
ROOKIE OF THE SEASON
Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) BWL +$140,100
Average: 98.8
Drafted into the Stars squad as an injury replacement for Dale Steyn, Rauf presented an irresistible case for a full-time deal with 10 wickets in his first three BBL matches including a haul of 5-27 in Moe against Hobart. He started at a basement price of $42,000 and will be the Stars spearhead for the rest of the tournament after Englishman Pat Brown suffered stress fractures in his back.
NOTABLE MENTIONS
Nathan Ellis (Hobart Hurricanes) BWL +$65,800
Average: 43.4
Set to shoulder more responsibility after injuries to Riley Meredith and James Faulkner, rookie quick Ellis has made more than $60,000 for coaches who started him at $42,000. His standout performance was a score of 113 against Melbourne Renegades when he snared 3-15 from three overs.
Lloyd Pope (Sydney Sixers) BWL +$95,800
Average: 51.7
The red-headed leg-spinner has bowled so well he appears to have gone ahead of veteran Stephen O’Keefe as the man to partner Nathan Lyon for the rest of the tournament. Pope’s control has been particularly impressive and after conceding 0-33 in his opening game of BBL09 he has taken 10-134 in his next five outings at an average of 2-27 a match.
Ben Manenti (Sydney Sixers) BWL +$64,500
Average: 60.8
Manenti was a late call-up to the Sixers squad and rewarded their faith in spades. He scored 158 points during a Round 1 double and continued to gain value with 56 and 29 points in his next two matches. He remains in the squad but didn’t feature in Round 6 or 7 when Josh Hazlewood returned from Test duties.
Beau Webster (Melbourne Renegades) BAT +$79,800
Average: 55.4
Technically not a rookie at 26, Webster was only $62,500 at the start of BBL09. He warmed up with 17 not out in his first game before an unbeaten 67 against Perth Scorchers sent his SuperCoach price north quickly. A superb knock of 59 not out from 40 balls in the return fixture against Perth cemented him as the No. 2 batsman for the Renegades (261 runs) after Round 7, behind only Shaun Marsh (298).
PREMIUM OF THE SEASON
Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars) BAT-BWL +$52,400
Average: 89.5
Bowling more than he has in previous BBLs and dominating with the bat, Maxwell is playing like a captain determined to lead the Stars to glory. Seven of his eight SuperCoach scores have been 55 or better (he scored 10 in a wash out against Hobart). Maxwell has only faced 183 balls for the tournament compared to teammate Marcus Stoinis’ 276, yet has just 20 runs less than the opener (Maxwell has made 311, Stoinis 331). The Stars skipper has an awe-inspiring average of 77.8 and is striking at 169.9 runs per 100 balls. He’s the No. 1 point scorer in SuperCoach BBL with an average of 89.5 each round.
NOTABLE MENTIONS
Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) BAT-BWL +$26,800
Average: 86.1
The Englishman has only enhanced his T20 reputation after winning plenty of fans with a haul of 20 wickets in BBL08. His knack of getting wickets late in games has made him a SuperCoach favourite, especially during double game weeks. In Round 1, he had Fawad Ahmed caught off the last ball of Perth Scorchers’ innings and removed Qais Ahmad and Clive Rose from the final two deliveries against Hobart Hurricanes. He replicated that effort in Round 7, scoring 165 points after collecting two 20th-over wickets against Adelaide Strikers. Curran is fourth for runs scored from the Sixers with 120 at an average of 30.
Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) BWL +$37,300
Average: 91.4
Second only to Haris Rauf as the standout quick of the tournament, taking 11 wickets in five games and averaging 91.4 SuperCoach points before being grounded by a side strain. Abbott cashed in during doubles in Round 1 (174 points) and Round 3 (180), rewarding those who paid $195,300 to start him.
Daniel Sams (Sydney Thunder) BAT-BWL +$62,600
Average: 73.5
Sams has barely fired a shot with the bat (23 runs at 3.8, four ducks) but has been phenomenal with ball in hand. The Thunder all-rounder is the Big Bash League’s leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets from eight games, bamboozling batsmen late in innings and boasting a staggering strike rate of a wicket every 10.9 balls.
Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers) BWL +$64,400
Average: 85.6
Khan has produced the goods with bat and ball for the Strikers, underlining his status as one of the most reliable SuperCoach BBL scorers. After scoring 0 when the Strikers’ clash with Sydney Thunder was called off due to smoke haze in Canberra, Khan amassed 151 and 244 in consecutive double game weeks. He’s every chance of being the season’s No. 1 scorer if he can maintain his outrageous batting strike rate of close to 200.
MORE BBL NEWS:
Sydney Thunder spinner Chris Green cops Big Bash League ban over illegal action
BBL: Haris Rauf hat-trick inspires Melbourne Stars to dominant win
Marcus Stoinis’ homophobic slur unacceptable but Melbourne Stars won’t stop the on-field banter
Which Australian Test stars should be on your SuperCoach BBL radar?
Haris Rauf was unknown to his Melbourne Stars teammates when he was named to make his Big Bash debut
PREMIUM TARGETS
AB De Villiers (Brisbane Heat) BAT $225,000
The South African legend will join Brisbane Heat from Round 9 of SuperCoach BBL and boasts a formidable T20 record. In more than 300 career Twenty20 matches, De Villiers has averaged 37.5 with an imposing strike rate of 149.9. He comes with a hefty price tag but you won’t want to get to the Heat’s Round 13 double without De Villiers in your team.
Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) BAT-BWL $236,800
Average: 86.1
Curran will still be with the Sixers for their Round 10 double before heading to South Africa to link up with his England teammates. He has more than proven his worth in the Sixers’ two doubles, amassing 175 in Round 1 and 256 in Round 3. You risk being blown away by those who captain him if you don’t have Curran in Round 10.
Kane Richardson (Melbourne Renegades) BWL $190,400
Average: 63
The reigning BBL champion will have nothing to play for — besides pride — during their Round 13 double against Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat. The Renegades also play at Marvel Stadium in Round 12, where Richardson has enjoyed unrivalled success in the past two seasons. The Aussie paceman took 14 of his 24 wickets under the roof in BBL08 and 4-33 in the Renegades’ opening game of BBL09 at their home ground.
Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat) BAT $210,700
Average: 63.7
Thousands of coaches punted the Brisbane Heat skipper after he scored 27 points across two games in Round 1. Lynn then scored 189, 16, 148 and 56 in his next four matches, skyrocketing to more than $200,000. Regardless of whether you were burned early in the season, you should be making plans to bring Lynn back — and soon.
Matthew Wade (Hobart Hurricanes) WKP-BAT $192,100
Average: 83
Wade took the BBL by storm last season, finishing as the second leading run scorer behind opening partner D’Arcy Short and winning a recall to the Test side. His high price tag will deter most coaches, but if Wade can replicate his BBL08 average of 42.3 and strike rate of 146.9, he’ll reward those prepared to pay top dollar.
UNDERPRICED TARGETS
David Miller (Hobart Hurricanes) BAT $90,300
Average: 20.1
Miller joined the Hurricanes with a reputation as one of the biggest hitters in world cricket and his SuperCoach starting price of $198,500 reflected this. However, seven consecutive scores of 25 or below have caused his price to plummet by more than $100,000. If Miller isn’t named in South Africa’s one-day squad to face England, he should be available for the full tournament. He made 184 runs at 61.3 in South Africa’s Mzansi Super League before joining Hobart.
Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder) BAT $80,600
Average: 32.4
The English opener showcased his hitting power in Round 1 when he recovered from scoring 18 against Brisbane Heat with a knock of 68 from 38 balls and 110 SuperCoach points against Melbourne Renegades. The Thunder batsman has been prone to single-figure scores but is cheap enough you could loophole him from your bench and decrease your risk of fielding a low total.
Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes) WKP-BAT $96,900
Average: 29.9
The absence of ODI squad member D’Arcy Short during the Indian tour will ensure McDermott has a prominent batting role for the Hurricanes, likely at No.3. McDermott got to 15 in five of his first six innings but only got past 23 once, when he scored 51 not out against Melbourne Renegades and posted 65 SuperCoach points.
Dan Christian (Melbourne Renegades) BAT-BWL $99,000
Average: 26.9
Considering he was integral to their title success last summer, veteran all-rounder Christian has been used sparingly by the Renegades. Batting in the middle-to-lower order and only averaging one over per game to Round 7 caused Christian’s price to drop sharply from $197,600. Captain Aaron Finch and paceman Kane Richardson are in India until Round 12 and their absence should increase Christian’s role after he was named interim skipper.
Phil Salt (Adelaide Strikers) $125,200
Average: 33.6
What a rollercoaster Salt owners have been on so far. After a bye in Round 1 he scored 0 in Round 2 but rebounded with 62 (Round 3 double) and 121 (Round 4 double). He had two ducks and a score of two in six innings to start BBL09, however his 54 from 26 balls against Melbourne Renegades was an indication of how dangerous he can be. The Strikers play four of their games from Round 8 onwards at Adelaide Oval, which has traditionally been the BBL’s best batting pitch.
REMAINING DOUBLE GAME WEEKS
Round 8: No teams. No byes.
Round 9: Scorchers. Sixers bye.
Round 10: Sixers. Renegades bye.
Round 11: No teams. No bye.
Round 12: Hurricanes, Strikers. No bye.
Round 13: Heat, Renegades. No bye.
*Stats and prices current as of January 11
Originally published as SuperCoach BBL mid-season stocktake: Hits and misses of the first seven rounds
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