The top 10 unique starting picks in SuperCoach for BBL09

You won’t win SuperCoach BBL following the pack. These are the 10 best unique picks for Round 1, including eight players who start the tournament with a double.

It won’t be the popular selections which define your SuperCoach BBL season.

Most coaches understand the importance of choosing stars such as D’Arcy Short (48.2%) Marcus Stoinis (28.2%), Josh Philippe (40.4%) and Tom Curran (28.7%) from the start.

The picks which can set you apart from the pack are the points of difference (PODs).

If you can find a diamond in the rough other coaches have overlooked, the result will be a steep rise in the overall rankings.

There are plenty of quality Round 1 selections who still feature in less than 10 per cent of teams, headlined by South African all-rounder Chris Morris.

These are the top POD picks of BBL09 to set your team apart:

Brisbane Heat paceman Mark Steketee is a cheap starting pick after only featuring twice last season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey.

1. Chris Morris (Sydney Thunder) $125,000 BAT-BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: N/A Ownership: 9.97%

The experienced South African all-rounder has been gaining SuperCoach BBL popularity, largely due to a Round 1 double and friendly price. Morris has been a flying start to the Mzansi Super League with four wickets and 20 runs (from one innings).

2. Mark Steketee (Brisbane Heat) $81,600 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: 31.5 Ownership: 7.83%

The Queensland paceman appeals largely due to his low starting price. Steketee only featured in two games in BBL08, claiming two wickets. But he finished BBL07 with 10 scalps and took 15 wickets from nine games in BBL06. He’s a strong chance to share the new ball for Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

3. James Pattinson (Brisbane Heat) $126,600 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: 44 Ownership: 6.89%

Pattinson will have to battle his way back into the Test mix after being cut from the Australian squad for the first Test against Pakistan due to an incident in the Sheffield Shield. If he’s not in the team to face New Zealand next month, he’ll spearhead the Heat bowling line-up. He took four wickets with an economy rate of 6.76 in BBL08.

Daniel Hughes has been in red-hot form and has a proven record in the BBL. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images.

4. James Vince (Sydney Sixers) $139,500 BAT 2018 SCBBL Avg: 48.5 Ownership: 7.01%

Hard to believe Vince’s ownership hasn’t skyrocketed after the form he displayed in the Twenty20 series against New Zealand. The Englishman made 110 runs with a strike rate of 132.5 from four innings and looms as the likely No. 3 for the Sixers behind opening pair Daniel Hughes and Josh Philippe.

5. Daniel Hughes (Sydney Sixers) $115,500 BAT 2018 SCBBL Avg: 40.1 Ownership: 8.85%

Hughes is the leading run scorer in this year’s Marsh Cup with 427 runs at an average of 85 and a strike rate of 98.6. The opener was also one of the standouts in BBL08, compiling 399 runs to finish behind only D’Arcy Short (637 runs), Matthew Wade (592), Marcus Stoinis (533) and Callum Ferguson (442). Guaranteed to open five times in the opening three rounds thanks to the Sixers’ busy fixture.

6. Stephen O’Keefe (Sydney Sixers) $179,700 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: 62.5 Ownership: 5.81%

The leading spin bowler of BBL08, O’Keefe took 21 wickets to finish two clear of Adelaide maestro Rashid Khan (19). His impressive strike rate of a wicket every 16 balls and economy of 6.57 runs an over will equate to bumper SuperCoach BBL points. He’s $15,600 cheaper than teammate Sean Abbott.

7. Ben Dwarshuis (Sydney Sixers) $136,200 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: 47.3 Ownership: 5.25%

The unheralded member of Sydney Sixers’ potent bowling attack. Dwarshuis claimed 16 wickets last summer, more than Nathan Coulter-Nile (14), Fawad Ahmed (13), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (12) and Michael Neser (11). He’s the value pick of the Sixers’ bowlers.

Ben Dwarshuis shapes as the value pick of Sydney Sixers’ bowling attack. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

8. Sam Heazlett (Brisbane Heat) $62,500 BAT 2018 SCBBL Avg: 8 Ownership: 5.19%

The one-time Australian representative broke his finger in October, a blow which brought a promising start to his 2019-20 campaign to a halt. Before then, Heazlett made 278 runs in four Marsh Cup innings with a strike rate of 117.3. With Brisbane Heat playing in the opening game, you can afford to start Heazlett on your bench and loophole his score if he fires.

Joel Paris has been cruelled by injury since making his Australian debut three seasons ago.

9. Joel Paris (Perth Scorchers) $81,000 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: N/A Ownership: 4.23%

Paris has been cruelled by injury since making his Australian debut in 2016. But in the absence of Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff (injured) and without Nathan Coulter-Nile (Melbourne Stars), the 26-year-old will get ample opportunity to impress. Perth Scorchers have a double in Round 3 and Paris is cheap enough ton stash on your bench until then.

10. Matthew Kelly (Perth Scorchers) $165,100 BWL 2018 SCBBL Avg: 57.4 Ownership: 1.15%

Perth paceman Kelly has been crying out for more opportunity in recent summers. He collected 11 scalps in seven matches last season and boasts the best bowling strike rate of any current BBL player of a wicket every 14.5 balls. His starting price is high, but choosing him from Round 1 will save you a trade in Round 3 when the Scorchers feature twice.

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