Sometimes we all need a helping hand — even in KFC SuperCoach BBL.
So if you’re padding up for the first time in BBL13 or just unsure about who to start, this is the article for you.
We’ll list five players from each KFC SuperCoach BBL position — BAT, BWL, WKP-BAT and BAT-BWL — to help you lock in your round 1 side by the first ball on December 7.
To start with, it’s the batters.
The best advice we can give you is to target BAT-BWL players, rather than BAT only, for the seven BAT positions in your team.
They have more chances to score points, as long as they’re batting and bowling.
Some batters have huge ceilings, but the risk is if they miss out their SuperCoach score will be reliant on what they do in the field.
Nathan McSweeney (59.3 points, three games) Chris Lynn (54.2), Tim David (51.1) and Cameron Bancroft (51) had the best average of players listed as BAT only in BBL12.
For those risk takers who like a BAT only option, here are five to consider for round 1:
Colin Munro (Brisbane Heat) $156,100
Brisbane Heat has the first triple in SuperCoach BBL history in round 1, which mitigates some of the risk about picking batters. They might only need to fire twice in three games to make their break even and produce a triple-figure score. New Zealander Munro is one of the most experienced T20 batters in the world, having played more than 400 T20 matches and scored more than 10,000 runs. Munro only played eight matches last season but still scored 278 runs at a strike rate of better than 150. If you pick Munro, you won’t have any worries about job security and him not playing all three round 1 games either.
Nathan McSweeney (Brisbane Heat) $128,700
McSweeney had a strong impact in the five matches he played last season, scoring 84, 28, 6, 5 and 41 for a SuperCoach average of 59.3 across three rounds. The beauty for those considering him this year is he has been one of the form batters of the season so far with South Australia. He has 162 runs at an average of 54 in the Marsh Cup and 456 runs at 50.6 in the Shield. Some have even suggested he might crack the Test squad he’s going that well. He might be the best option on this list as he can bowl as well.
Josh Brown (Brisbane Heat) $88,600
One of the great stories of BBL12. Brown has gone from a Fifth XI player in grade cricket to a Brisbane Heat contract and showed his hitting prowess with 62 off 23 balls against Sydney Sixers last season. Some coaches were concerned about whether Brown would start the campaign in Brisbane’s best XI, but Matthew Renshaw being picked in the PM’s XI should ensure that’s not an issue. The 29-year-old is rated as one of the country’s cleanest hitters and is given a licence by Brisbane to launch in the power play. As he explained recently, it’s seen as a bonus if Brown is still in after the first four overs. Brown will be in the sights of many KFC SuperCoach teams due to Brisbane’s round 1 double which is understandable when he’s less than $90k and set to open the batting. If he gets away even once in that opening round, Brown will have justified starting him in SuperCoach. He’s had a few low scores for his club side Norths in recent months but is the type of player who could defy that form and blast off in BBL13. He needs to be considered.
Oliver Davies (Sydney Thunder) $117,100
Davies has scored 129, 67 and 62 in his last two Sheffield Shield matches, standing up for a NSW team which has been struggling. Not bad for a rising star who’s supposed to be more of a white-ball hitter. Starting Davies won’t be easy as it means you will need to carry him for three rounds before Sydney Thunder has the double in round 4. But it would certainly put you ahead of other coaches who will be looking to trade him in for that round. In his first nine rounds last season, Davies scored 65 SuperCoach points or more five times (including a season high of 125 in round 2). The 23-year-old is one of the most exciting batting talents in Australian cricket and has a strike rate of 138 in his short T20 career. You’ve got to like a player in form and there’s no question Davies fits that criteria. It’s just a matter of whether investing that $117k in him from round 1 will be worth it. If you’re prepared to take the plunge, you could have a great point-of-difference pick.
D’Arcy Short (Adelaide Strikers) $67,500
A two-time player of the tournament at rookie price seems too good to be true, especially with a round 2 double. Short is likely to bat in the top three for Adelaide after a frustrating end to his time in Hobart. His recent Marsh Cup form is a concern, making three ducks in five innings since late September. But surely the price tag and early double offsets the risk of picking a player who might not be in top form? Short features in almost 40 per cent of KFC SuperCoach teams and if he recaptures his form of past BBL campaigns, those coaches who start him are going to have a big advantage. He’s by no means a must-have like some of the players listed in this article but probably only needs one decent score in his first three matches to generate money. He’s lost BWL status after not bowling last season but could pick up the odd over in BBL13, especially once Rashid Khan leaves later in the tournament. The issue is he’s unlikely to still be in your SuperCoach team by that point. Chuck him on your BAT bench, play him in the round 2 double and then reassesses how long you hold him after that.