SuperCoach BBL: Damo and Azza identify five ways to pick a successful team in BBL13

Playing SuperCoach BBL for the first time this summer? This is the article for you. Experts Damo and Azza identify the five keys to picking a successful team for BBL13.

Whether it’s fixtures, trades, or captains, there are many ways to select and then manage a team in KFC SuperCoach.

The key for the season, and for your starting team, is to stay agile and ready to switch your plans depending on what ball is bowled your way.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first, though. Your team has a salary cap of $2 million to spend on seven batters, seven bowlers and two wicketkeepers.

Your batters should be top of the order, so they get the best chance of facing the most balls, most overs, to get the best score possible. Someone who bats at 6 or lower, doesn’t have the same scoring opportunities as someone who bats higher up the order.

You have $2m to pick 16 players in your team.

Wicketkeepers who bat at the top of the order, like Ben McDermott, Josh Inglis or English international Sam Billings are the ones to target, as opposed to Harry Nielsen or Jimmy Pierson who usually bat later.

Your bowling attack would benefit from players who are guaranteed 3 or 4 overs per game, so they qualify for the eco-rate bonus. Opening bowlers, who get the new ball, and death bowlers, who bowl in the final overs, usually have the best chance of getting wickets. Even better if they are all-rounders who bowl as well as they bat, giving them more than one way to score.

Players who bowl in the power play and at the death like Daniel Sams are important. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

TRADES

You get three trades per round, and you either use them or lose them. You can tap into a fourth trade by activating a trade boost, but you there’s not an endless supply, so use them wisely!

The fixture is an important part of the SuperCoach BBL season. Some would argue the most important, because your trade plans, starting team, and even when to use your trade boosts all come down to when a team is playing, and how often in that round.

Planning ahead with your trades is important, because you want to maximise your points each round the best you can.

An example of the batters you could start with for BBL13.

FIXTURES

Brisbane Heat have 3 games in round one, so you’ll see a lot of Heat players in people’s starting teams. For the first time ever in SuperCoach BBL, a triple game week.

So players like Michael Neser ($194,000 BAT-BWL), Sam Billings ($116,900 WKP-BAT), and wunderkind fast bowler Spencer Johnson ($125,500 BWL) will be popular starting picks.

Also in the first round Stars, Scorchers, Sixers and Renegades all play twice, but coaches would benefit from looking further down the road, because Stars have the bye in round 2. Glenn Maxwell’s ($118,300 BAT-BWL) form in the ODI World Cup makes him too hard to ignore, but aside from him, how many more Stars can you afford to start knowing they need to be traded out for the next round?

Michael Neser and Brisbane Heat play three times in round 1. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

JOB SECURITY

Who’s going to bat in the top four, who’s going to bowl four overs, who’s going to sit at cover, mid-wicket or third man to catch the stray ball off a mistimed swing? Basically, who is secure in their team’s XI.

The Scorchers have a pretty set batting order, while they like to switch their bowling attack around depending on the pitch.

The Sixers aren’t afraid to rest their bowlers and have riches to choose from, while Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers have the other problem that they have riches of batters and their orders are far from set.

The Renegades are finding their identity, but their XI is pretty stable, while the Stars have a new coach and there’s debate around what that order will look like.

It’s those factors that mean you’re more likely to select Glenn Maxwell than Tom Rogers, or Andrew Tye over Matthew Kelly, just because you know they are key parts of their respective teams.

Try to pick players with good job security such as Andrew Tye. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

CAPTAIN AND VICE-CAPTAIN

Your captain’s score doubles, and if your captain is ruled out through injury or something, your vice-captain steps in and puts up the points instead.

In Round 1, most people will have the captaincy armband on a Brisbane Heat player and deservedly so with 3 games to score points.

So, again, players like Michael Neser ($194,000 BAT-BWL), Sam Billings ($116,900 WKP-BAT), and Spencer Johnson ($125,500 BWL) will be popular captains for round 1.

Josh Philippe looms as a popular bench pick. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

WHO’S ON YOUR BENCH?

With four teams on the double, and the triple in Brisbane’s case, your bench might be useful to prepare for the Adelaide Strikers double in Round 2.

You’ve probably picked players who are all but locked in the XI barring disaster, but just in case, you want to put some good cheap players on your bench who can go boom, or fill a need, in the right circumstances.

Here are some bench players to consider who should play and increase in value – a key to making trades throughout the season:

D’Arcy Short ($67,500 BAT-BWL)

Tanveer Sangha ($83,800 BWL)

Cooper Connolly ($70,500 BAT-BWL)

Jack Edwards ($62,500 BAT)

Peter Siddle ($75,500 BWL)

Josh Phillipe ($102,700 WKP-BAT)

Joel Davies ($87,800 BAT-BWL)

You have right up until Round 1 to continue tinkering with your team, but keep your ear to the ground for selection tips and team signings.

Follow @DamoSC and @azzajewell on X

Originally published as SuperCoach BBL: Damo and Azza identify five ways to pick a successful team in BBL13