BBL13 predicted teams: Big Bash experts Ben Somerford and Max Bryden name best XIs and round 1 line-ups for every franchise
The BBL is finally here – but just how every club lines up in the opening round remains to be seen. Check out the squads for the Heat v Stars opener and see our predicted teams.
The first ball of BBL13 is almost there, but the best XI and round 1 teams for most franchises remain a movable feast.
The recent announcement of the Prime Minister’s XI, the availability of some Test squad players and a host of late signings have shaken up the plans of BBL teams and SuperCoaches.
Ben Somerford, the founder of fantasy website Honeyball, and SuperCoach Playbook BBL guru Max Bryden, cast their expert eyes over how every team could look — both in round 1 and at their best.
ADELAIDE STRIKERS
BEST XI
1. Matt Short (c)
2. Travis Head
3. Chris Lynn
4. Alex Carey (wk)
5. Adam Hose
6. D’Arcy Short
7. Jamie Overton
8. Ben Manenti
9. David Payne
10. Henry Thornton
11. Wes Agar
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1 M.Short (c)
2 D.Short
3 C.Lynn
4 A.Hose
5 T.Kelly
6 J.Overton
7 B.Manenti
8 H.Nielsen (wk)
9 D.Payne
10 H.Thornton
11 W.Agar
KEY SELECTION NOTES: Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is out of BBL13 due to a back injury, so delete him from your team. His absence opens up a role as lead spinner for either Ben Manenti or Cameron Boyce. Manenti has been playing regularly for SA and offers a bit with the bat, so likely gets the first crack.
Travis Head and Alex Carey seem long odds to feature at any point due to Test duties, unless they scrape in a game in Round 1. That means generously-priced recruit D’Arcy Short should open the batting, alongside BBL12 player of the season Matt Short.
Jake Weatherald and Tom Kelly might be vying for one spot in the middle order.
All-rounder James Bazley is set to miss Round 1 due to a hamstring injury but should return for his side’s Round 2 double, which SuperCoaches need to plan for.
That may impact English all-rounder Jamie Overton, who is in the sights of many SuperCoaches working off form in the Vitality Blast and The Hundred.
Wes Agar recently returned from a back complaint so he’ll be available, while they’ve added English fast-medium bowler David Payne, after impressing at the back-end of last season with Perth — Ben Somerford
BRISBANE HEAT
BEST XI
1. Colin Munro
2. Usman Khawaja (c)
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Matt Renshaw
5. Sam Billings
6. Nathan McSweeney
7. Jimmy Peirson (wk)
8. Paul Walter
9. Michael Neser
10. Spencer Johnson
11. Matt Kuhnemann
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Colin Munro
2. Usman Khawaja (c)
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Sam Billings (wk)
5. Max Bryant
6. Michael Neser
7. Paul Walter
8. Xavier Bartlett
9. Jack Wildermuth
10. Spencer Johnson
11. Matt Kuhnemann
KEY SELECTION NOTES: The Heat are very relevant with their Round 1 SuperCoach triple, but are arguably the most chaotic and unpredictable side.
Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne will play their opening game on December 7 and there’s a slight chance they’ll stick around for their second on December 9 before heading out for Test duty in Perth. Jimmy Peirson, Nathan McSweeney and Matt Renshaw will all miss their first two games due to Prime Minister’s XI call-ups. Renshaw and Michael Neser – who was pulled out of the PM’s XI squad – could also get called into the Test squad after that game.
Spencer Johnson is also under a major injury cloud due to a hamstring tweak which has prevented him from playing at state or club level since late September and forced him to withdraw from Australia’s T20I series in India.
Johnson also wasn’t named in the Heat Academy side for this week’s practice games in Melbourne, which can’t be a good sign.
The word is top-order bat Colin Munro will be available for all three Round 1 games with an early release from his Abu Dhabi T10 League duties. Sam Billings will take the gloves in Peirson’s absence, boosting his pointscoring prospects.
Decent over from Josh Brown against Ruwantha Kellapotha. pic.twitter.com/GvlXyxOU2p
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) November 30, 2023
With all that in mind, there’s also likely a middle-order batting role available for either Jack Wood or Josh Brown for the first game or two. That’s hard to call just now, but Wood was exceptional in Queensland’s T20 Max, can be flexible in his batting role and offers a part-time spin option, so he gets my nod. Also keep an eye on ex-Sydney Thunder bat Lachlan Hearne as a local replacement player following good form in Queensland club cricket. One point of contention is Johnson’s potential replacement if unavailable, with that potentially opening the door for spinner Mitch Swepson, all-rounder Will Prestwidge or a like-for-like fast bowling local replacement player like Benji Floros.
So like we said, chaotic and unpredictable. — Ben Somerford
UPDATE: Brisbane has announced its squad for Thursday night’s opener, with Michael Neser named after being released from PM’s XI duties. A final decision on his availability will be decided before the bat flip.
HOBART HURRICANES
BEST XI
1. Caleb Jewell
2. Ben McDermott
3. Matthew Wade (wk)
4. Sam Hain
5. Tim David
6. Corey Anderson
7. Chris Jordan
8. Nathan Ellis (c)
9. Paddy Dooley
10. Riley Meredith
11. Peter Hatzoglou
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Caleb Jewell
2. Ben McDermott
3. Matthew Wade (wk)
4. Sam Hain
5. Tim David
6. Corey Anderson
7. Chris Jordan
8. Nathan Ellis (c)
9. Paddy Dooley
10. Riley Meredith
11. Peter Hatzoglou
KEY SELECTION NOTES: The Hurricanes have very few selection issues at the moment, although fast bowler Riley Meredith is racing the clock to be fit for Round 1 due to a side strain from a few months ago, having not returned at any competitive level. If he misses out, fit-again Billy Stanlake or left-armer Liam Guthrie are in line for a chance.
Some key decisions need to be made around who’ll open the batting, with both Matthew Wade and the bargain-priced Ben McDermott capable alongside BBL12 revelation Caleb Jewell. Chris Jordan appears set for a juicy SuperCoach role, batting as high as seven and bowling four overs, likely some at the death alongside Nathan Ellis. Ellis is definitely someone you’ll want for Hobart’s Round 7 double. With six singles prior to that, you may steer clear of most Canes except possible cash generator McDermott, who has the second most Marsh Cup runs this season. — Ben Somerford
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MELBOURNE RENEGADES
BEST XI
1. Quinton de Kock (wk)
2. Joe Clarke
3. Shaun Marsh
4. Aaron Finch
5. Nic Maddinson (c)
6. Jon Wells
7. Will Sutherland
8. Tom Rogers
9. Adam Zampa
10. Mujeeb ur Rahman
11. Kane Richardson
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Nic Maddinson (c)
2. Joe Clarke
3. Jake Fraser-McGurk
4. Aaron Finch
5. Jon Wells
6. Mackenzie Harvey
7. Will Sutherland
8. Tom Rogers
9. Adam Zampa
10. Mujeeb ur Rahman
11. Nathan Lyon
KEY SELECTION NOTES: No team has recruited better this off-season. Scoring one player from the World Cup Team of the tournament would be a coup — they’ve grabbed two. Quinton de Kock arrives via the draft and will take the gloves. He’s not expected to line up until the third game of the season though as he completes duties in the T10 League. Adam Zampa joins via a trade. Englishman Joe Clarke has followed Zampa from the cross-town rival Melbourne Stars to form a formidable opening partnership. Veterans Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon were also brought in. Will Sutherland, now captain of Victoria, is the pickle in the cheeseburger; love him or hate him, you need him there for balance. His performances will go a long way towards how far this team can go. Good enough for third in last year’s regular season, this squad has the parts to unsettle the Scorchers and Sixers dominance in the competition. — Max Bryden
MELBOURNE STARS
BEST XI
1. Sam Harper (wk)
2. Tom Rogers
3. Beau Webster
4. Glenn Maxwell (c)
5. Marcus Stoinis
6. Hilton Cartwright
7. Imad Wasim
8. Usama Mir
9. Nathan Coulter-Nile
10. Mark Steketee
11. Haris Rauf
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Sam Harper (wk)
2. Tom Rogers
3. Glenn Maxwell (c)
4. Marcus Stoinis
5. Hilton Cartwright
6. Campbell Kelleway
7. Liam Dawson
8. Usama Mir
9. Nathan Coulter-Nile
10. Joel Paris
11. Olly Stone
KEY SELECTION NOTES: There’s no bigger ‘in’ for any club this year then Glenn Maxwell. There’s no more disappointing ‘out’ than Harry Brook. The skipper Maxwell returns after missing all of last year’s tournament with a broken leg. Brook, the Stars’ top draft pick and supposed reward for last year’s shocking 3-11 season, pulled out before even pulling on a uniform. Regardless, this is a significantly improved Stars outfit. The overseas players that will play are solid, and there’s few finer than Haris Rauf in his pomp. His Pakistani teammate Usama Mir might not have the profile, but has plenty of skill as a legspinner and hard-hitting batsman. In Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright and Beau Webster there’s plenty of power and bowling options. The latter, and new recruit Mark Steketee, will join the side after the PM’s XI. — Max Bryden
UPDATE: Melbourne has announced its squad for the BBL opener against Brisbane, with late English signing Olly Stone named as a replacement for Harris Rauf who is unavailable for selection.
PERTH SCORCHERS
BEST XI
1. Zak Crawley
2. Mitch Marsh
3. Aaron Hardie
4. Josh Inglis (wk)
5. Ashton Turner (c)
6. Laurie Evans
7. Ashton Agar
8. Jhye Richardson
9. Andrew Tye
10. Lance Morris
11. Jason Behrendorff
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1 S.Whiteman
2 S.Eskinazi
3 A.Hardie
4 J.Inglis (wk)
5 A.Turner (c)
6 L.Evans
7 C.Connolly
8 J.Richardson
9 A.Tye
10 M.Kelly
11 J.Behrendorff
KEY SELECTION NOTES: Mitch Marsh appears to set to miss the bulk of the BBL due to Test duty, while there’s injury doubts on Ashton Agar and Matt Kelly (both calf) for the early stages of the campaign. Lance Morris will miss Round 1 having been called into the Perth Test squad. Opener Zak Crawley will also miss Perth’s first two games on England ODI duty in the West Indies.
All of that, opens up opportunities for cheap players like Marsh Cup top scorer Sam Whiteman along with BBL|12 Final heroes Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson. Connolly is a player of interest, given he opened the batting last week for WA and can provide a part-time spin option, potentially offering up a dream role. Monitor who ends up taking up those opening roles with Steve Eskinazi, Whiteman, Connolly, Hobson and even Englishman Laurie Evans in the mix.
From a SuperCoach point of view, Perth’s best players are priced high but they’re proven. Jhye Richardson is uber expensive but he’s a gun wicket-taker, while Aaron Hardie has a great role, assuming he’s getting a few overs. You know what you’re getting with Andrew Tye and Jason Behrendorff too.
— Ben Somerford
SYDNEY SIXERS
BEST XI
1. Steve Smith
2. Josh Philippe (wk)
3. James Vince
4. Moises Henriques (c)
5. Jordan Silk
6. Jack Edwards
7. Tom Curran
8. Sean Abbott
9. Ben Dwarshuis
10. Todd Murphy
11. Stephen O’Keefe
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Josh Philippe (wk)
2. James Vince
3. Steve Smith
4. Moises Henriques (c)
5. Jordan Silk
6. Jack Edwards
7. Tom Curran
8. Sean Abbott
9. Joel Davies
10. Jackson Bird
11. Stephen O’Keefe
KEY SELECTION NOTES: A settled team with star power across the board. Steve Smith has signed on to play game one and likely the Sydney Smash on January 12. He will be the biggest star in a potent top-three alongside Josh Phillipe and Englishman James Vince. Popular import Tom Curran returns to help offset the retirement of Dan Christian. The bowling riches are almost unfair. Alongside international reps Curran, Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Todd Murphy, there’s capable locals Hayden Kerr, Stephen O’Keefe and Jackson Bird. Young all-rounders Jack Edwards and Joel Davies will push for selection and keep 36-year-old skipper Moises Henriques feeling young. Another deep finals campaign beckons. — Max Bryden
SYDNEY THUNDER
BEST XI
1. David Warner
2. Alex Hales
3. Jason Sangha
4. Ollie Davies
5. Daniel Sams
6. Matthew Gilkes (wk)
7. Nathan McAndrew
8. Chris Green (c)
9. Gurinder Sandhu
10. Zaman Khan
11. Tanveer Sangha
POSSIBLE ROUND 1 TEAM
1. Matthew Gilkes (wk)
2. Alex Hales
3. Jason Sangha
4. Ollie Davies
5. Daniel Sams
6. Alex Ross
7. Nathan McAndrew
8. Chris Green (c)
9. Gurinder Sandhu
10. Zaman Khan
11. Tanveer Sangha
KEY SELECTION NOTES: David Warner should join the Thunder for the final 3-4 matches of the season. That could be more games than what off-season recruit Cam Bancroft — the man tipped to replace Warner in the Test side — will play for them. The team will again rely on its young core of batters in wicketkeeper Matt Gilkes, Jason Sangha and Ollie Davies. The latter has enjoyed a breakout start to the season and could become a household name with a strong tournament. The only concern is a fractured finger he suffered while on Sheffield Shield duties which could hamper his tournament. Emerging spin star Tanveer Sangha has just spent two months with the World Cup squad as a travelling reserve and alongside Dan Sams will likely provide the biggest impact with the ball. — Max Bryden
FOLLOW Max Bryden (@max_smart) and Ben Somerford (@HoneyballBBL) in Twitter/X.
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