Seeing Double: SC prospects with double lives, Strikers/Heat

My oh my I don’t think anyone is ever going to forget rounds 7 and 8 of SuperCoach.

Most agree BBL is already extremely difficult to navigate with the short rounds, rolling BEs and weather and when you throw in COVID, things get crazy!

The good news here is that we are on the home stretch, so let’s take a look at the Round 9 double game week and who you might target for your trades.

There are two teams on the double in round 9; the Strikers and Heat – and no one on the bye. Coaches should have plenty of troops to choose from, and squad depth is becoming a factor given the amount of players either contracting COVID or being recalled to their various national squads.

NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect the new SuperCoach schedule as of Tuesday afternoon.

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The Fixtures:

• The Strikers play games 1 and 5, with the Heat playing games 2 and 3, meaning your VC is likely to wear blue and your skipper could be from the Heat.
• The Strikers play both matches at home, taking on the Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars.
• The Heat are playing the Sixers on the Gold Coast before flying to Geelong to play the Renegades.

Team Factors and tactics to keep in mind:

Strikers

• The Strikers will be without George Garton who has been recalled by the ECB. He was already dropped from the XI for their last start. 
• This benefited Matt Short who bowled four overs, greatly increasing his scoring potential. It also helps the job security of Wes Agar and Daniel Worrall, while Fawad Ahmed has also held his spot since missing the first two matches.
• Henry Hunt debuted for the Strikers in their last match, batting 5, but may not hold his spot, with the Strikers potentially opting for an all-rounder to support Short’s overs.
• Adelaide are the second worst SuperCoach scoring team this season, and concede the third most points.
• The Melbourne Stars 10 COVID positive players should be back for this match-up against the Strikers, based on a timeline of return to play 7+ days after their positive result (December 30). This means their match-up may not be as desirable as previously thought. This is dependent on the South Australian Government also now allowing them into the state, but unfortunately it’s the second game of the round so we won’t know whether to load up on Strikers bowlers or not.

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Heat

• We’ve had unconfirmed reports of seven players testing positive, meaning bulk reinforcements will be needed. The team is also unlikely to confirm their playing squad until late in the afternoon before the game, but this should happen before lockout occurs around 5:30pm on Wednesday.
• We saw the Stars struggle hugely with huge numbers out for COVID, and you could expect the trend to continue. The Stars conceded 1,171 combined points in their DGW while undermanned and scored poorly as well. Not only avoiding Heat players, but backing their opposition in the Sixers and Renegades players – especially bowlers – could be the move.
• The Heat had been on a much improved trajectory, with the highest average score per game for the last three rounds, but this would not be expected to continue.

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The players:

• Rashid Khan: Rashid is having a down year, averaging 51 points per game which, while respectable is below his standards. He will be an extremely popular VC option but scored only 31 points in his first match against the Hurricanes. He should be your number 1 trade target if you don’t already own.
• Matt Short: The cheapie started the season red-hot, but is averaging less than 30 from his last three games. With Garton out, he bowled four overs, meaning his role is exceptional even if his form is not. He peaked at $140k but will cost less than $100k this round. He’s a high-risk batsman who passed 20 in his first three innings but has now not scored more than 16 in his last five innings.
• Matt Renshaw: Already in 33% of teams, Renshaw is averaging 49 SC points. After starting at just $62.5k he could top out at over $150k if he continues his current pace. He should have a low BE, but brings the risk all batters do of being rocks or diamonds. He does have a great record at Adelaide Oval though.
• Jake Weatherald: having a terrible season with the expectations of the whole club on his shoulders as the senior batsman. Dirt cheap, and usually plays well at Adelaide.
• Jono Wells: Always under the radar, Wells benefits from weak batting around him and is quietly averaging 43 points for the season. Always a decent POD option for those who like a punt.
• Peter Siddle: Father-time is undefeated and Siddle has lost his excellent ability to control the economy-rate like previous seasons. Still, he has the equal most wickets for the Strikers and bowls the right overs for SuperCoach relevance. Will be just over $100k and with a good BE. A low-risk option.
• Wes Agar: Recording secretly great stats for someone who has been dropped this year. Has two 3fas and has taken a wicket every 13 deliveries which is the best in the squad. Notched 95 points in his last match so will cost nearly $150k but could be an excellent POD despite not always bowling at the best times.

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Summary 

Two teams on the double offers an excellent chance to have a crack at the VC loophole, so try ensure you’ve got at least one player from each club that you’d consider as your skipper.

This is obviously dependent on the cattle from the Heat, but if your VC doesn’t fire, a Sixer or Renegades bowler could be a decent back-up straight C.

With Rashid Khan, Matt Renshaw and George Garton already in my squad, I’ll look to trade in Wes Agar from the Strikers. I like Wes as a POD with a sneaky good form-line.

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I will consider my options at the Heat, but will likely favour my final two trades towards Renegades, Hobart or Thunder players.

The Thunder and Hobart both have the DGW next round, and for the Hobart side this also includes a game against the Heat which could be juicy.

We saw the Stars weakened outfit get bowled out twice so I’ll favour bowlers and will look at Dwarshuis, Meredith, Richardson or Husnain.