Expert verdict: The bowlers key to SuperCoach BBL success

A wicket is worth 20 points – whether it’s the result of an unplayable yorker or a batter skying one to cow corner – and there is a 10 point bonus if a bowler takes three or more wickets in a match.Restricting the opposition is almost as valuable, with one point on offer for every dot ball, 15 for a maiden and further economy rate bonuses of up to 25 points. So, figures like 2-15 off four overs can deliver a huge points windfall.The players to target are bowlers who take the new ball (when batters are just getting settled) and bowl in the final overs, when batters are swinging for the fences and wickets can fall quickly.Bowlers must complete three overs to qualify for the economy rate bonus, so beware of part-timers. And it doesn’t hurt if they can swat a few over the fences with the bat late in the innings as well – if you are tossing up between two specialist bowlers pick the one who comes in at No.6 over a No.11.Here are five sure-fire pointscorers with the ball to consider for your team.Rashid Khan (Strikers)$193kOne of the most consistent scorers in KFC SuperCoach history thanks to his combination of dot balls, economy rate bonus and wickets. Rashid having a double to start the season makes the decision easy for KFC SuperCoaches – you simply have to start with him. He will be one of the most popular captains in round 1 and taking on one of the world’s best T20 bowlers is asking for trouble. Remember when he signed off on BBL11 with a 187-point performance against Brisbane Heat? You can’t win KFC SuperCoach BBL in round 1 but you could go a long way to putting yourself out of the running for the overall prize if Rashid fires and you overlook him. Rashid averages a wicket every 15.5 balls in the BBL and will almost certainly bowl 48 of them in round 1. That’s a guaranteed 60 points alone based on his career strike rate.VERDICT: You don’t need us to tell you to pick him. Just do it.Chris Jordan (Sixer)$125kThe Englishman doesn’t have the greatest record in the BBL with 32 wickets in 30 matches at an economy rate of more than eight runs an over – which is about equal to his international career statistics. What is without question is that when Jordan is at his best, he can be one of the best death bowlers in T20 cricket. He snared eight wickets in three games in England’s T20 series against India in July and 17 wickets from 14 games in the Vitality Blast.VERDICT: Monitor his early form and availability closely and jump on closer to the round 5 double – as long as he’s going to be available for that extended run when the Sixers’ play a glut of games from rounds 5-8.Mark Steketee (Heat)$177kSteketee is largely renowned as a red-ball bowler and you can see why considering his Sheffield Shield record in recent summers. His performances in the longer format have put the Brisbane Heat quick on the fringes of the Australian Test squad. But focusing only on Steketee’s Sheffield Shield efforts would be underselling how effective he has been for the Heat. Steketee had the ninth best KFC SuperCoach average (61) of any BWL only player last season after averaging 49.1 in BBL10. Steketee was only $87k at the start of that tournament but has taken 36 wickets in 24 games in the past two BBLs. He’s a premier bowler in domestic cricket and priced accordingly.VERDICT: A must-have by Brisbane’s Round 3 double. Hopefully he’s dropped in price a little before then!Nathan Ellis (Hurricanes)$156kEllis has gone from a NSW grade cricketer to a semi-regular in Australia’s white-ball squads in the past 2-3 summers. It has been a remarkable rise for a player who as recently as BBL09 started in KFC SuperCoach at the basement price of $42k. Ellis has the ideal role to score well, having made a specialty out of bowling the 18th and 20th overs in most innings – when most wickets fall. He is a consistent scorer in KFC SuperCoach, posting totals of 33-67 in six of the rounds he featured in last summer. Players with a base of 30 points are tough to come by in KFC SuperCoach, which is why Ellis is an attractive option.VERDICT: One for later in the season when Hobart plays twice. You don’t want to be investing more than $150k in players who don’t have the double in case things go awry.Trent Boult (Stars)$180kThe Stars’ premium pick in the BBL draft won’t be around for the full tournament, so KFC SuperCoaches wanting to unleash Boult will need to consider him from the start. He’s still playing some international cricket for New Zealand and continues to be a regular wicket-taker despite stepping back from full-time international commitments. In the recent series against Australia, the left-armer took 10 wickets across three matches in Cairns. He’s unlikely to get those same bowler-friendly conditions often in the BBL, but Boult’s quality will carry him a long way. You don’t boast a strike rate of 16.5 in international T20s without being a seriously good bowler in the shortest format.VERDICT: The round 1 double puts him in the ‘must consider’ category, but the price is very steep. I’d prefer an all-rounder like Glenn Maxwell for that much. But if Boult can remain a point-of-difference pick for the opening round, he could provide rich reward for owners. TOP 5 BATSMENGiven the volatile nature of T20 run-scoring, picking batters in KFC SuperCoach BBL is always a difficult task.Sticking to those at the top of the order is usually the best plan – but not every opener equals KFC SuperCoach gold.Here is the verdict on 5 key batters for BBL12.Adam Hose (Strikers)$105kThe top-order batter was ranked third for total runs in England’s Vitality Blast this year, amassing 557 runs at a strike rate of 160.9. Of course, English stats have rarely translated to the BBL - especially for players experiencing the Aussie T20 tournament for the first time. But Adelaide’s Round 1 double and Hose’s low price tag mitigate some of that risk. He likely only needs to go big in one of those two games in Round 1 to justify starting him at a mid-range price. Hose also scored 182 runs from seven innings in The Hundred, but didn’t have as great an impact playing in the Carribean Premier League in September.VERDICT: Start one of him and Chris Lynn for Adelaide’s Round 1 double - both should bat in the top order while Alex Carey and Travis Head are unavailable.SCBBL PROMOLaurie Evans (Scorchers)$99kThe hero of Perth Scorchers’ victory over a Covid-depleted Sydney in last season’s BBL final when he clubbed 76 from 41 balls after Perth was teetering at 4-25. He finished last season with a flourish after bottoming out at $66k, largely due to his role as a No.6 batter and limited opportunities. Where he fits in the Perth batting line-up will be key to his KFC SuperCoach relevance. Batting at No.5 or No.6 would make him a hard sell, even at less than $100k. As Covid restrictions lift around Australia, it would be assumed Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis will be available more often than last season and won’t be part of a Test bubble. That bodes well for the Scorchers, but not Evans’ elevation up the order.VERDICT: The Scorchers used their retention pick on Evans in the draft and clearly liked what they saw in his first season. That role as a No.6 finisher is crucial to T20 but too volatile when it comes to KFC SuperCoach scoring.Moises Henriques (Sixers)$149kStill one of the classiest batsmen in Australian domestic cricket, Henriques delighted those who started him last season by scoring 214 in the opening round of BBL11. It was one of four scores of 64 or more points for the campaign, although he also posted scores of 15 and 5. That’s the risk which comes with selecting a player who predominantly scores from one skill in KFC SuperCoach and Henriques’ bowling role has diminished significantly in the past 3-4 years. Henriques ranked seventh for total runs in BBL11.VERDICT: The Sixers don’t have a double until round 5 and his price is unlikely to spike before then. Hold off and consider him around mid-season as the Sixers play twice in round 5 and 8.Alex Hales (Thunder)$130kAs if KFC SuperCoaches needed a reminder of Hales’ matchwinning ability, he delivered with 84 from 51 balls in England’s T20 World Cup warm-up against Australia in Perth. Hales looms as one of the most-popular starting picks in KFC SuperCoach with Sydney Thunder playing four times in the opening two rounds. At his destructive best he is one of the top scorers in KFC SuperCoach and showcased his enormous ceiling when he blasted 203 points in Round 10 last year. Two summers ago, he was one of the best mid-season buys after bottoming out at $87k. He scored four tons and a 95 in the run home from that low price.VERDICT: Make him one of your first picked or he’s likely to make you pay.Jason Sangha (Thunder)$177kSangha came from nowhere to be one of the best KFC SuperCoach selections of BBL11. Working his way into the Thunder team in Round 4, Sangha only posted less than 33 points once during an incredibly consistent campaign. Sangha got as high as $203k and finished with an average of 49.4 runs per innings, the highest of any player in the top-10 run scorers for the tournament. Those coaches who refused to believe his breakout was sustainable were left behind as Sangha compiled 445 runs and cemented himself as the Thunder’s No.3 after KFC SuperCoach BBL’s own Callum Ferguson.VERDICT: The Round 1 double is tempting, but Hales is $47k cheaper. Assuming you’re starting with Daniel Sams and David Willey as well, Sangha might be one too many Thunder players. SCBBL PROMO

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October 31, 2022 at 12:30AM
A wicket is worth 20 points – whether it’s the result of an unplayable yorker or a batter skying one to cow corner – and there is a 10 point bonus if a bowler takes three or more wickets in a match.Restricting the opposition is almost as valuable, with one point on offer for every dot ball, 15 for a maiden and further economy rate bonuses of up to 25 points. So, figures like 2-15 off four overs can deliver a huge points windfall.The players to target are bowlers who take the new ball (when batters are just getting settled) and bowl in the final overs, when batters are swinging for the fences and wickets can fall quickly.Bowlers must complete three overs to qualify for the economy rate bonus, so beware of part-timers. And it doesn’t hurt if they can swat a few over the fences with the bat late in the innings as well – if you are tossing up between two specialist bowlers pick the one who comes in at No.6 over a No.11.Here are five sure-fire pointscorers with the ball to consider for your team.Rashid Khan (Strikers)$193kOne of the most consistent scorers in KFC SuperCoach history thanks to his combination of dot balls, economy rate bonus and wickets. Rashid having a double to start the season makes the decision easy for KFC SuperCoaches – you simply have to start with him. He will be one of the most popular captains in round 1 and taking on one of the world’s best T20 bowlers is asking for trouble. Remember when he signed off on BBL11 with a 187-point performance against Brisbane Heat? You can’t win KFC SuperCoach BBL in round 1 but you could go a long way to putting yourself out of the running for the overall prize if Rashid fires and you overlook him. Rashid averages a wicket every 15.5 balls in the BBL and will almost certainly bowl 48 of them in round 1. That’s a guaranteed 60 points alone based on his career strike rate.VERDICT: You don’t need us to tell you to pick him. Just do it.Chris Jordan (Sixer)$125kThe Englishman doesn’t have the greatest record in the BBL with 32 wickets in 30 matches at an economy rate of more than eight runs an over – which is about equal to his international career statistics. What is without question is that when Jordan is at his best, he can be one of the best death bowlers in T20 cricket. He snared eight wickets in three games in England’s T20 series against India in July and 17 wickets from 14 games in the Vitality Blast.VERDICT: Monitor his early form and availability closely and jump on closer to the round 5 double – as long as he’s going to be available for that extended run when the Sixers’ play a glut of games from rounds 5-8.Mark Steketee (Heat)$177kSteketee is largely renowned as a red-ball bowler and you can see why considering his Sheffield Shield record in recent summers. His performances in the longer format have put the Brisbane Heat quick on the fringes of the Australian Test squad. But focusing only on Steketee’s Sheffield Shield efforts would be underselling how effective he has been for the Heat. Steketee had the ninth best KFC SuperCoach average (61) of any BWL only player last season after averaging 49.1 in BBL10. Steketee was only $87k at the start of that tournament but has taken 36 wickets in 24 games in the past two BBLs. He’s a premier bowler in domestic cricket and priced accordingly.VERDICT: A must-have by Brisbane’s Round 3 double. Hopefully he’s dropped in price a little before then!Nathan Ellis (Hurricanes)$156kEllis has gone from a NSW grade cricketer to a semi-regular in Australia’s white-ball squads in the past 2-3 summers. It has been a remarkable rise for a player who as recently as BBL09 started in KFC SuperCoach at the basement price of $42k. Ellis has the ideal role to score well, having made a specialty out of bowling the 18th and 20th overs in most innings – when most wickets fall. He is a consistent scorer in KFC SuperCoach, posting totals of 33-67 in six of the rounds he featured in last summer. Players with a base of 30 points are tough to come by in KFC SuperCoach, which is why Ellis is an attractive option.VERDICT: One for later in the season when Hobart plays twice. You don’t want to be investing more than $150k in players who don’t have the double in case things go awry.Trent Boult (Stars)$180kThe Stars’ premium pick in the BBL draft won’t be around for the full tournament, so KFC SuperCoaches wanting to unleash Boult will need to consider him from the start. He’s still playing some international cricket for New Zealand and continues to be a regular wicket-taker despite stepping back from full-time international commitments. In the recent series against Australia, the left-armer took 10 wickets across three matches in Cairns. He’s unlikely to get those same bowler-friendly conditions often in the BBL, but Boult’s quality will carry him a long way. You don’t boast a strike rate of 16.5 in international T20s without being a seriously good bowler in the shortest format.VERDICT: The round 1 double puts him in the ‘must consider’ category, but the price is very steep. I’d prefer an all-rounder like Glenn Maxwell for that much. But if Boult can remain a point-of-difference pick for the opening round, he could provide rich reward for owners. TOP 5 BATSMENGiven the volatile nature of T20 run-scoring, picking batters in KFC SuperCoach BBL is always a difficult task.Sticking to those at the top of the order is usually the best plan – but not every opener equals KFC SuperCoach gold.Here is the verdict on 5 key batters for BBL12.Adam Hose (Strikers)$105kThe top-order batter was ranked third for total runs in England’s Vitality Blast this year, amassing 557 runs at a strike rate of 160.9. Of course, English stats have rarely translated to the BBL - especially for players experiencing the Aussie T20 tournament for the first time. But Adelaide’s Round 1 double and Hose’s low price tag mitigate some of that risk. He likely only needs to go big in one of those two games in Round 1 to justify starting him at a mid-range price. Hose also scored 182 runs from seven innings in The Hundred, but didn’t have as great an impact playing in the Carribean Premier League in September.VERDICT: Start one of him and Chris Lynn for Adelaide’s Round 1 double - both should bat in the top order while Alex Carey and Travis Head are unavailable.SCBBL PROMOLaurie Evans (Scorchers)$99kThe hero of Perth Scorchers’ victory over a Covid-depleted Sydney in last season’s BBL final when he clubbed 76 from 41 balls after Perth was teetering at 4-25. He finished last season with a flourish after bottoming out at $66k, largely due to his role as a No.6 batter and limited opportunities. Where he fits in the Perth batting line-up will be key to his KFC SuperCoach relevance. Batting at No.5 or No.6 would make him a hard sell, even at less than $100k. As Covid restrictions lift around Australia, it would be assumed Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis will be available more often than last season and won’t be part of a Test bubble. That bodes well for the Scorchers, but not Evans’ elevation up the order.VERDICT: The Scorchers used their retention pick on Evans in the draft and clearly liked what they saw in his first season. That role as a No.6 finisher is crucial to T20 but too volatile when it comes to KFC SuperCoach scoring.Moises Henriques (Sixers)$149kStill one of the classiest batsmen in Australian domestic cricket, Henriques delighted those who started him last season by scoring 214 in the opening round of BBL11. It was one of four scores of 64 or more points for the campaign, although he also posted scores of 15 and 5. That’s the risk which comes with selecting a player who predominantly scores from one skill in KFC SuperCoach and Henriques’ bowling role has diminished significantly in the past 3-4 years. Henriques ranked seventh for total runs in BBL11.VERDICT: The Sixers don’t have a double until round 5 and his price is unlikely to spike before then. Hold off and consider him around mid-season as the Sixers play twice in round 5 and 8.Alex Hales (Thunder)$130kAs if KFC SuperCoaches needed a reminder of Hales’ matchwinning ability, he delivered with 84 from 51 balls in England’s T20 World Cup warm-up against Australia in Perth. Hales looms as one of the most-popular starting picks in KFC SuperCoach with Sydney Thunder playing four times in the opening two rounds. At his destructive best he is one of the top scorers in KFC SuperCoach and showcased his enormous ceiling when he blasted 203 points in Round 10 last year. Two summers ago, he was one of the best mid-season buys after bottoming out at $87k. He scored four tons and a 95 in the run home from that low price.VERDICT: Make him one of your first picked or he’s likely to make you pay.Jason Sangha (Thunder)$177kSangha came from nowhere to be one of the best KFC SuperCoach selections of BBL11. Working his way into the Thunder team in Round 4, Sangha only posted less than 33 points once during an incredibly consistent campaign. Sangha got as high as $203k and finished with an average of 49.4 runs per innings, the highest of any player in the top-10 run scorers for the tournament. Those coaches who refused to believe his breakout was sustainable were left behind as Sangha compiled 445 runs and cemented himself as the Thunder’s No.3 after KFC SuperCoach BBL’s own Callum Ferguson.VERDICT: The Round 1 double is tempting, but Hales is $47k cheaper. Assuming you’re starting with Daniel Sams and David Willey as well, Sangha might be one too many Thunder players. SCBBL PROMO