SuperCoach BBL finals guide: The players you need from every potential finalist
Big Bash League finals are almost here and the $25,000 SuperCoach BBL grand prize is within reach for several coaches. Here’s how the revamped finals series works in SuperCoach and the players you need to be successful.
SuperCoach BBL
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Ever wanted to hit the reset button on your SuperCoach team?
SuperCoach BBL gives you the chance to do exactly that.
With four rounds in 10 days — and four opportunities to win $1000 — there’s more than the $25,000 grand prize at stake in a frantic finish to BBL09.
Melbourne Stars, Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Thunder have qualified for the expanded finals series.
SuperCoaches will have unlimited trades to play with each round for the rest of the tournament (within the confines of their overall team value).
YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR SUPERCOACH BBL AND WIN $1000 EVERY ROUND!
Coaches will hone in on players from four teams for the eliminator and qualifier, before the last three rounds of SuperCoach feature only two sides.
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Your captaincy choice will be more important than ever as teams target the same premium scorers.
You won’t differentiate yourself by choosing players such as Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Rashid Khan.
Where you can edge ahead of the competition is by ensuring you have the top scorer of the round as your captain, therefore doubling the highest possible total.
You can still use the captaincy loophole in Round 14, but from Round 15 onwards it all comes down to your judgment.
Here are two players you need from every BBL finalist and a point of different option to help you finish strongly.
MELBOURNE STARS*
Adam Zampa BWL SuperCoach Average: 58.8
The Australian leg-spinner was one of the bowlers of the tournament before heading to India with the one-day side to continue his rivalry with Virat Kohli. Zampa has taken wickets in seven of his nine matches, snaring multiple scalps in four games including a season-best 3-27 against Brisbane Heat at the MCG. His control has been exemplary and he’ll be a key weapon for Glenn Maxwell as the Stars chase a breakthrough title.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 9, Wickets: 13, Overs: 34, Best: 3-27, economy: 6.94, SR: 15.6
Glenn Maxwell BAT-BWL Avg: 70.3
There’s been eyebrows raised since Maxwell missed out on the Indian tour due to his blistering BBL form. Australian selectors did the Stars a huge favour when they left Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis out of the ODI squad. Maxwell has responded by being one of the players of BBL09 and had a huge influence with bat, ball and in the field. He’s a perfect SuperCoach captain.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 14, Wickets: 7, Overs: 31, Best: 2-15, economy 6.80, SR 26.5
Innings: 13, Runs: 373, High score: 83*, Average: 46.6, SR: 156.1
*Make Marcus Stoinis your top target if he’s bowling
THE POD MOVE: No Stoinis or Maxwell
Could you really go without two of the most prolific scorers in SuperCoach BBL? Why not? Stoinis is yet to bowl in BBL09 and the return of Haris Rauf from international duties gives Maxwell an extra seam bowler to call on. Sandeep Lamichhane won’t be available for finals, but Maxwell, Clint Hinchliffe and Adam Zampa will almost certainly share spin duties. If Stoinis isn’t bowling, you’re relying solely on his batting for points. That strategy has paid dividends for much of the tournament but his past four scores are 8, 98, 6 and 27 at an average of 35. Maxwell would be a greater risk as he’s likely to play a prominent role with bat and ball. He hasn’t been a huge wicket-taker though with only three scalps in his past nine matches.
SYDNEY SIXERS
Steve Smith BAT Avg: 70.5
The Sixers have welcomed back one of the world’s premier batsmen for his fourth season in magenta and return BBL campaign. There’s previously been questions marks about whether Smith’s batting is suited to T20 cricket but he emphatically answered those with 80 not out from 51 balls against Pakistan and 66 runs with a strike rate of 146.6 in two innings against Sri Lanka. He’ll be a defining figure in this finals series and should be one of the first-picked in your SuperCoach team.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 2, Innings: 2, Runs: 75, High score: 66*, Average: 75, SR: 153.1.
Sean Abbott BWL Avg: 91.4
Abbott was in barnstorming form before being sidelined by injury after five matches. He was bound for India with the one-day team before suffering a side strain, impressing with 11 wickets at an average of 13.5. He’s still one of the most-expensive players in SuperCoach as a result of his injury but bowls at key times and is a reliable wicket-taker for the Sixers.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 5, Wickets: 11, Overs: 20, Best: 3-20, economy: 7.40, SR: 10.9
THE POD MOVE: Get Jackson Bird or Lloyd Pope
Most coaches will be focused on Steve Smith, Josh Philippe, Ben Dwarshuis and possibly Sean Abbott for the qualifier between the Sixers and Stars. But what if one of Bird or Pope replaces Tom Curran, who has headed to South Africa for England duties? Pope has averaged 45.6 from eight matches in BBL09 including four consecutive games above 50 from rounds 3 to 7. Bird has only dipped below 41 twice in 10 games and will take the new ball if chosen. Abbott looms as the most likely replacement for Curran but his selection will depend on how he’s recovered from a side strain.
ADELAIDE STRIKERS
Rashid Khan BWL Avg: 68.4
The BBL’s premier spinner of the past two seasons has added another dimension to his game as Adelaide’s finisher with the bat. He’s contributed more than 100 runs at a strike rate of 157, which ranks well compared to stars such as Maxwell and Chris Lynn. His major source of points is still with the ball and with 18 wickets in 14 games he’s again been one of the most prolific bowlers of the summer. His scoring would have been even better, if not for an unusually high economy rate of more than seven.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 14, Wickets: 18, Overs: 51.2, Best: 4-22, economy: 7.24, SR: 17.1
Alex Carey WKP-BAT Avg: 59.7
There was an understandable theory that dropping down the order would diminish the Australian wicketkeeper’s scoring potential. After opening for several seasons, Carey has relished a move to No. 4 with the Strikers. He opened the campaign with scores of 45, 55, 45 and 41 and hasn’t scored less than 19 once. He should comfortably be the most popular SuperCoach wicketkeeper for as long as Adelaide is in the finals.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 10, Innings: 10, Runs: 363, High score: 55, Average: 36.3, SR: 129.7
THE POD MOVE: No Rashid Khan
The Strikers will finish third and won’t feature in Round 14, the first round of BBL finals in SuperCoach. Afghani spinner Khan will be the priority target when the Strikers next play and he featured in 41 per cent of teams in Round 13. Khan hasn’t taken multiple wickets in his last six matches and only has one innings of more than 10 in that time. Leaving him out would be a make-or-break move but he has scored 17 or less three times this season. Assess the Strikers’ match-up before deciding whether Khan is a must-have.
SYDNEY THUNDER*
Daniel Sams BAT-BWL Avg: 67.5
Big-hitting all-rounder Sams hasn’t had anywhere near the impact most expected with the bat, but has more than made up for it with the ball. The left-arm quick has been a regular wicket-taker in the later overs and collected multiple scalps in eight games. If he gets it together with the bat in finals, he could finish BBL09 with the most SuperCoach points of any player.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 14, Wickets: 25, Overs: 47.2, Best: 4-34, economy: 7.81, SR: 11.3
Callum Ferguson BAT Avg: 37.3
The Thunder captain was one of the BBL’s leading batsmen after six games when he had scores of 73 not out, 52 and 73. However, after scoring 19 against Melbourne Stars on January 2, six of his next seven scores have been under 10 runs. He’s very affordable in SuperCoach as a result for a player who bats at No. 3 and enjoys a long stint at the crease.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 14, Innings: 14, Runs: 335 High score: 73*, Average: 33.5, SR: 127.4
*Make Chris Morris a top target if not chosen for South African ODI team.
THE POD MOVE: Pick Alex Ross
Ross has made an unheralded impact since crossing from Brisbane Heat to the Thunder. He’s regularly batting at No.4 or No.5 and has become one of the BBL’s great unsung finishers. Since Round 8, he’s had scores of 66, 86, 20, 34, 50 and 7 (in a shortened game). Those numbers aren’t huge, but Ross is a batsman who rarely fails when given decent opportunity and can score quickly as well. There’s a high likelihood he’ll be in less than 100 teams as well.
HOBART HURRICANES
D’Arcy Short BAT-BWL Avg: 87.9
Any hopes of the No. 1 run scorer from the past two tournaments being cheap were dashed when he took five wickets in the Hurricanes’ Round 12 victory over Sydney Thunder. Short hasn’t been as dominant in six of his eight BBL09 innings as the past two summers, but his unbeaten hundred against Perth Scorchers was a reminder of the damage he can do. Don’t go without him now Hobart has snuck into the top five.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 8, Innings: 8, Runs: 320, High score: 103*, Average: 45.7, SR: 129
James Faulkner BAT-BWL Avg: 57.7
He missed a large chunk of the tournament due to injury but Faulkner will be integral if Hobart is to continue its late-season momentum into finals. He’s no longer a SuperCoach factor with the bat but has still averaged above 60 thanks to his hugely impressive strike rate of a wicket every 9.7 balls in BBL09. Faulkner had eight wickets from only 13 overs to Round 13 and will bowl at key times if Hobart can earn a finals berth.
BBL09 STATS: Matches: 6, Wickets: 9, Overs: 17, Best: 3-26, economy: 7.2, SR: 11.3
THE POD MOVE: No Matthew Wade
How do you ignore a player who has scores of 116, 88 and 224 in his past three games? Every coach is going to want Wade in their finals side based on his recent form. What happens if he falls early against either the Thunder or Heat? Of course there’s risk involved with overlooking a player with his phenomenal BBL record and in his recent form – Wade has monstered 66, 56 and 130 in his past three innings at a strike rate of 203. It’s worth remembering he was out for five and three in his two innings prior. It only takes one rash shot for even the best batsmen to score poorly in SuperCoach BBL.
YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP FOR SUPERCOACH BBL AND WIN $1000 EVERY ROUND!
BBL09 SUPERCOACH FINALS
Round 14 (two matches)
Eliminator: Thursday, January 30 (4th vs 5th)
Qualifier: Friday, January 31 (1st vs 2nd)
Round 15 (one match)
Knockout: Saturday, February 1 (3rd vs eliminator winner)
Round 16 (one match)
Challenger: Thursday, February 6 (qualifier loser vs knockout winner)
Round 17 (one match)
Final: Saturday, February 8 (qualifier winner vs challenger winner)