KFC SuperCoach BBL: Round 10 trade guide, best Stars, Scorchers targets

Mitch Marsh’s side strain could not have come at a worse time for KFC SuperCoach teams. Here’s how to turn the untimely blow into a positive.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 09: Ashton Turner of the Scorchers bats during the Big Bash League match between the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Thunder at Optus Stadium, on January 09, 2021, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Rashid out. Richardson in.

KFC SuperCoaches are always reluctant to trade stars such as Rashid Khan, but with the Adelaide Strikers dynamo jetting off to the UAE it presents a golden opportunity in Round 10.

Perth Scorchers quick Jhye Richardson became the No. 1 scorer in KFC SuperCoach with a haul of 165 points in Round 8.

Richardson’s four wickets and 20 runs against Sydney Thunder caused his price to skyrocket to $224,000 for Round 9 — with a crazy break even of -62.

He scored 62 against Hobart Hurricanes in Round 9 and is projected to be about $250,000 for Round 10.

Whether you can afford the $50,000-$60,000 to upgrade Rashid to Richardson will depend on your other moves, but it appears the best trade of Round 10.

Rashid Khan has left BBL10 to link up with his Afghanistan teammates in the UAE.

Jhye Richardson was projected to be about $250k in Round 10.

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The Perth paceman has made a stunning return from shoulder surgery and produced scores of 90, 112, 25, 118, 165 and 62 between rounds 4-9.

Considering he’ll be a popular captaincy choice in Round 10, leaving him out could be disastrous.

Ditto Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis, although the Stars duo are among the most-popular players in KFC SuperCoach.

KFC SuperCoaches with both Rashid and Mitch Marsh will have no shortage of money to spend after Marsh was ruled out for at least one week with a side strain.

Marsh broke down after three balls against Hobart Hurricanes and Perth has already declared he’s unlikely to bowl again in BBL10.

For KFC SuperCoaches who had brought Marsh in as preparation for Round 10, it means going with one less double game week player than originally planned.

Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye will be close to straight swaps, while Marsh’s value could help KFC SuperCoaches afford his teammate Richardson.

Mitch will begin a short rehabilitation period and return as a batter when ready later in the tournament. More at 👉https://t.co/9ivUJfAngi #MADETOUGH #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/qaeNZxgruy

— Perth Scorchers (@ScorchersBBL) January 13, 2021

The flow-on effect will likely be fellow all-rounder Aaron Hardie bowls at least six overs in Round 10, which will make him a popular cheapie at about $85k.

You can bank about $100k by trading Marsh to Hardie to bolster your team elsewhere.

That extra money could help you target Thunder all-rounder Daniel Sams, who scored 126 points on his return from concussion in the Sydney Smash.

Here are the targets who should be on your radar in preparation for the Stars-Scorchers double:

Jason Behrendorff has found form in recent games for Perth Scorchers.

TOP TARGETS

Jason Behrendorff (Perth Scorchers) BWL

Projected price: $115,000-$125,000

Behrendorff has hit form at the right time for KFC SuperCoaches and his price will still be well within reach for Round 10. The towering quick took 2-25 against Sydney Thunder in Round 8 for his best points return of the season — 67. Before that game he had been consistent without hitting the same heights as several teammates with three scores of 40-53 in his first seven matches of BBL10. He’s a threat in the power play but not always guaranteed to bowl four overs depending on how much Aaron Hardie and Mitch Marsh are used.

Josh Inglis reels in a catch for Perth Scorchers.

Josh Inglis (Perth Scorchers) WKP-BAT

Projected price: $160,000-$170,000

Regular readers of the KFC SuperCoach trade guide must be getting sick of reading about Perth’s wicketkeeper. But there’s good reason he’s featured in the past few editions. Inglis’ price got as low as $97k this season but coaches are likely to pay closer to $160k in the double game week. Inglis will be the most-popular wicketkeeper of Round 10 with the other option — Andre Fletcher — failing to fire in BBL10. That is unless coaches choose to roll with either Alex Carey or Josh Philippe. After four scores of 16 or below to start the BBL Inglis averaged 78 in his next four innings, which included unbeaten knocks of 44 and 72.

Greater opportunities could be coming for Nick Larkin after his big hitting against Brisbane Heat.

Nick Larkin (Melbourne Stars) BAT

Projected price: $82k

One for the bargain hunters. Larkin could be the beneficiary of Nicholas Pooran departing the Stars after a highlight-filled six-game stint in the BBL. He struggled for opportunity early in the tournament but was back in the team for rounds 7, 8 and 9 of KFC SuperCoach. Larkin’s 35 not out from 16 balls against Brisbane Heat displayed a side of his game most cricket fans won’t have seen before and he was then elevated to No. 3 against the Strikers.

Andrew Tye has overcome a slow start to BBL10 with two big KFC SuperCoach scores.

Andrew Tye (Perth Scorchers) BWL

Projected price: $165,000-$175,000

If you missed getting Tye in the past few rounds, you’re paying a serious premium on what many other coaches did. The slower-ball specialist went into Round 9 with a break even of -56 after scores of 127 and 69 and was projected to jump by more than $30k ahead of the Scorchers double. He bowled without luck early in the tournament but after hauls of 4-20 and 2-28 against the BBL’s leading teams — Sydney Thunder and Sixers — Tye’s confidence will be sky-high going into Round 10. He’s still one of the BBL’s best death bowlers which ensures a KFC SuperCoach return in most — if not all — games.

Aaron Hardie could benefit from Mitch Marsh’s absence.

Aaron Hardie (Perth Scorchers) BAT-BWL

Projected Round 10 price: $85k

The young all-rounder was the clear beneficiary of Marsh’s injury against Hobart, bowling four overs and taking 2-36. That was his sixth score of 26 or better this campaign and a return of 60-80 during the DGW would be a great outcome for a player who will cost less than $90k. His opportunities with the ball are only going to increase without Marsh and he’s a good chance to bat at least once, having featured at No. 7 this tournament.

He’s cheap, but is Andre Fletcher too much of a risk?

Andre Fletcher (Melbourne Stars) WKP-BAT

Projected price: $64k

OK, now we’re talking. KFC SuperCoaches don’t get far without taking a risk or two and the spice man Andre Fletcher certainly would be a risk. Fletcher reached 10 in seven of his first nine innings for the Stars but hasn’t got to 20 — the mark needed for the KFC SuperCoach strike rate bonus. The Stars have talked about tinkering with their order to ensure Maxwell’s time at the crease is maximised. If that doesn’t end with Fletcher dropping down the order, he could be worth a punt at less than $70k.

Andre Fletcher has now reached 10 in 7 of his nine #bbl10 innings but never scored more than 18.

— Tim Michell (@tim_michell) January 11, 2021

Adam Zampa has been one of the BBL’s best bowlers in the past two seasons.

Adam Zampa (Melbourne Stars) BWL

Projected price: $184k

The Aussie T20 spinner never seems to get the plaudits for just how effective he is in the BBL. Zampa has 12 wickets in seven matches this summer after averaging close to two wickets a game in BBL09. That’s comparable to — if not better than — Rashid Khan in the same period. He was averaging a wicket every 13 balls in BBL10 before the Stars’ Round 9 clash with Adelaide and is bowling at key times for Glenn Maxwell. He was popular in Round 1 and should be again for the Stars’ second double of the campaign.

Haris Rauf’s low score on his Stars’ return could work in KFC SuperCoaches’ favour.

Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) BWL

Projected price: $174k

A score of 1 in his first game of BBL10 will ensure Rauf comes at a much more affordable price than his starting quote of $213k. He already dropped to $198k and had a huge break even of 126 in Round 9 — when he scored 23 against the Strikers. He copped a hiding from Chris Lynn in his first BBL10 match, finishing with 0-25 from two overs. But it should be noted that was a rain-affected game where the Heat only faced 10 overs. He hasn’t fired yet, but that might make him more of a POD in Round 10.

Zahir Khan is available for less than $100k after a wicket-less start to BBL10.

Zahir Khan (Melbourne Stars) BWL

Price: $85,400

Wicketless in his first three games for the Stars, Khan comes with an eye-catching price tag. Bowlers are a safer option than batsmen in KFC SuperCoach and Khan will be priced similarly to options such as Larkin for the double. The difficulty is getting a read on how Maxwell will deploy his bowlers. If Marcus Stoinis is back bowling and Zampa is clearly the first-choice spinner, would Khan be a candidate to be subbed out for an X-factor player? He wasn’t even in the XI for Round 9, but should come into calculations after the Stars’ loss to Adelaide.

Colin Munro has enjoyed a mid-season resurgence for Perth Scorchers.

Colin Munro (Perth Scorchers) BAT

Price: $141,600

Munro is one of the form batsmen of the BBL, although a question mark hovers over his fitness after he missed the Scorchers clash with Hobart in Round 9 due to a quad injury. The Kiwi top-order batsman bottomed out at $96k but then peeled off three consecutive fifties. He could be a successful POD pick if he proves his fitness to take on the Sixers.

AND ONE WITHOUT THE DOUBLE …

Daniel Sams (Sydney Thunder) BAT-BWL

Projected Round 10 price: $197k

Round 10 is all about Scorchers and Stars, but the regular season then wraps up with three rounds where no team plays twice. That means KFC SuperCoaches should be targeting the best scorers in the game and Sams is exactly that. The Thunder all-rounder was the No. 1 points scorer in BBL09 and is having a much greater impact with the bat this summer. Sams’ 50 against Sydney Sixers took his runs tally for BBL10 to 183 from six innings with an average of 46. Last season he batted 15 times for 55 runs. The beauty about Sams’ batting is he scores quickly — he has a BBL10 strike rate of 187 after his fifty against the Sixers. You’ll only be paying 10-20k more than other coaches if you wait until Round 11.

ROUND 10 FIXTURES

Stars v Strikers — Friday, January 15, MCG, 7.15pm

Sixers v Scorchers — Saturday, January 16, Manuka Oval, 6.40pm

Stars v Renegades — Sunday, January 17, MCG, 7.15pm

Thunder v Hurricanes — Monday, January 18, Manuka Oval, 7.15pm

Scorchers v Heat — Tuesday, January 19, Marvel Stadium, 7.15pm