Tim Michell’s SuperCoach BBL team for BBL15 revealed
With Hobart Hurricanes and Sydney Sixers playing twice in round 1 of SuperCoach BBL, expert Tim Michell has stacked his starting team with some of the biggest BBL stars.
Let’s start with the obvious.
Every SuperCoach BBL team needs Michael Neser and Aaron Hardie for BBL15.
Last season, that duo would have set you back more than $350k at the start of the campaign.
This year, you can have both in your starting side for $167,800.
Those are two bargains you simply can’t overlook — especially when Neser’s Brisbane Heat play twice in round 2 and Hardie’s Perth Scorchers twice in round 4.
SuperCoach BBL is essentially about two things — maximising your players on the double and forward planning.
That’s why nine players in my starting side are from the teams playing twice in round 1 — the Sixers and Hurricanes.
I’ve gone with five Hobart players and four Sixers as the reigning BBL champions have a stacked fixture to start BBL15 with SuperCoach doubles in rounds 1 and 3.
Sean Abbott is the obvious question mark from my Sixers.
He’s in the squad for the first Ashes Test and there’s a chance — depending on the fitness of Pat Cummins — that he won’t be released to play the early rounds of the BBL.
I had rounds 2, 3 and 4 in mind when piecing together my team despite the heavy focus on the two sides with a double in round 1.
The Heat and Sydney Thunder are on the double in round 2, which is why I’ve stashed Shaheen Shah Afridi, Xavier Bartlett and Jack Wildermuth and started with Daniel Sams.
If I use four trades (including a boost) going into round 2, that will allow me to have nine players on the double in round 1 and eight in round 2.
The one spot I am unsure of is my Flex.
I was going with one of Rehan Ahmed and Rishad Hossain, but then Tim David hit a 130m six against India and I realised of that trio, I fear not having David the most.
SuperCoach BBL logic tells you to go with a bowler over a batter, but I’m not sure logic applies when a player like David is involved.
David only scored less than 49 points once last year and with five games in the first three rounds, he could be the player who launches me toward the top of the rankings.
WICKETKEEPERS
Matthew Wade $94,900 WKP-BAT
Bench
Finn Allen $85,300 WKP-BAT
You could start with any of Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott and Wade as your wicketkeeper with a round 1 double. Finn Allen is the standout bench wicketkeeper with Perth’s round 4 double in mind. That is unless you’re using your bench WKP spot for a captaincy loophole and starting a player such as Lachlan Shaw from the Sixers.
BATSMEN
Mitch Owen $192,800 BAT-BWL
Babar Azam $152,000 BAT
Daniel Sams $116,600 BAT-BWL
Jack Edwards $113,700 BAT-BWL
Michael Neser $93,000 BAT-BWL
Bench
Joe Clarke $68,600 WKP-BAT
Jack Wildermuth $58,500 BAT-BWL
The thought of not having Mitch Owen with five games in the first three rounds is enough to keep any SuperCoach awake at night. I’m torn on the Babar Azam selection. History tells us batters from Asia take time to adapt to Australian conditions, even in the BBL. But as the kids say, Azam is different gravy and those rules probably don’t apply. Jack Edwards could end up being a season keeper and Sams, Neser and Joe Clarke are significantly underpriced. I’m pretty confident Jack Wildermuth will get first crack at Paul Walter’s all-rounder spot at the Heat and have loved his form so far this season for Queensland — in particular with the bat.
BOWLERS
Nathan Ellis $153,900 BWL
Ben Dwarshuis $146,800 BWL
Sean Abbott $133,600 BWL
Chris Jordan $105,500 BWL
Aaron Hardie $74,800 BAT-BWL
Bench
Shaheen Shah Afridi $152,000 BWL
Xavier Bartlett $128,300 BWL
These selections are pretty self-explanatory. Four of the five on-field players play twice in round 1 and Hardie shapes as the best cheapie of BBL15. Shaheen and Bartlett are expensive players to have stashed on the bench, but the hope is that investment will come in handy in round 2. Ellis was the only player to finish with more than five wickets in Australia’s T20 series against India and the form he showed makes him a must-have for the first three rounds.
FLEX
Tim David $123,600 BAT
You don’t need to be as literal with your Flex as I have been by putting my biggest hitter in that position.
David only needs to blast off 2-3 times in the first five rounds and your decision to start him will have been rewarded.
Last summer David scored 254 runs at a strike rate of 177.
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Originally published as Tim Michell’s SuperCoach BBL team for BBL15 revealed
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