Thommo’s Takes: SuperCoach BBL Round 5 wrap

Welcome to our review article at SC Playbook where we review the action from the previous round and see what impact it had on our side and what we can learn from it.

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Sixers vs Renegades

Result: Sixers won by 34 runs

Takes:

• Some interesting team line ups to kick off the first game of the round. Richo returned in place of David Moody. He must have not done enough with the ball last game…. Handscomb played his first game in new colours in place of Harper behind the stumps. I’m not sure the last time he actually was the wicket-keeper in a BBL game. Guptill replaced Dre Russ. Not only were the Renegades making changes, but the Sixers were also making changes we need to be aware of. SOK and Naveed were out, replaced by Ben Dwarshuis and Todd Murphy.
• Handy return by Benny! One of my personal favourites after saying g’day to him during a weird COVID season when the Sixers were staying at the same hotel as me! I’m not too sure how many people know who he is when out in the wild…. What I do know is that he was back in form. 4/17 including a maiden over!
• Jackson Bird is having a sneaky good season for the Sixers. Using him to his strengths, he took 1/10 off 3 and was dangerous, beating the bat on numerous occasions. He also has found the boundary when needed this season, 13 off 6 in this game too. I don’t think I could ever pick him, the Sixers can change their bowling line up on match ups and conditions, but he has been really good to start the year!
• One expensive over for DC in one of my favourite bits of Thommo’s Takes. The DC bowling watch!
• Murphy was attacked early when Finch and Marsh were at the crease but fought back well and finished with 1/24 off 3. The way he fought back may keep him in the side.
• Abbott was great with 2/17 off his 4 overs and an athletic outfield catch. Kerr again did a job with ball in hand, removing Marsh just when the Renegades looked to be developing a dangerous partnership.

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• Finch and Marsh were the most threatening batters for the Gades. You would assume Marsh would only get better from here in his first game back. The Renegades are still heavily reliant on Finch from a batting perspective. If they want to set or chase a large total, it looks like he needs to have a big game. He came in at number 3 and Marsh at number 4. That to me looks a bit fluid and could depend on who the first wicket is to keep the left hand / right hand combination going at the crease.
• Not a good one for Guptill owners in game one. Still another game to go, so hopefully he shows his class in that one.
• Sutherland could be on the rise in the batting order. Number 8 looks too low for him. He was the major beneficiary of the Dre Russ departure bowling 3 overs and capturing 2/22. Probably unlucky not to get a fourth over considering how it was tracking.
• Philippe was clearly the best Sixers batter. 55 off 40 as he got the Sixers off to a flyer!
• Akeal Hosein had a quiet game. I am sure lots of VC/Cs were on him (including my own VC). 0/29 off his 4 overs and struggled with the bat only making 3. Another game to go in the round and his previous form was super so hopefully he can get back to his old BBL ways. Depending on the game situation however, we might see teams just see him off (like teams do against Rashid) and look to target other Gades bowlers.
• Tom Rogers had the role. He just couldn’t get the wickets. The drop of Mujeeb didn’t help though…. Hopefully for owners he can bounce back next match. He did jag a run out and scored some runs, he even looked like he could get a strike rate bonus so it wasn’t a total disaster score!
• Richo returned, had the role and looked very good! 2/22 of his 4 overs. A great trade in for those that went that way. I wish I did. I just didn’t have the salary.
• The only Renegade bowler I could reach after the non-selection of Naveed was Mujeeb. A bit like Murphy, he took some stick early but fought back well to captured 3/29 off his 4 overs. Another game like that please Mujeeb!
• 1 over for Maddo.

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Heat vs Thunder

Result: Thunder won by 11 runs

Takes:

• Colin Munro and Daniel Sams were the headline acts in this match. 98 off 53 for Munro in an innings that reminded me of his big hundred last year. 143 SC points for anyone who held. Sams rewarded those who regard him as a season long hold with 113 points. Will non owners prioritise him with a trade in with no doubles for the rest of the season? 36 off 15 to propel the Thunder to a large target and then 2/41 off his 4 overs. People who pivoted off a Hosein VC would have been chuffed, at the time…  
• One change for the Heat. Bazley in for Bartlett. Fish and I put the VC on Bazley and mentioned him as a POD back when the Heat had a DGR. This is the type of performance we had in mind! Too late for my team sadly, but an awesome performance after returning from hamstring soreness. 4/22 including bowling the final over as well as 29 off 24. 148 SC points. According to Fish we were ahead of the times….
• Apart from the previously mentioned Munro, the all-to-familiar Heat poor batting start was on display again.

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• We harp on about role consistently here at SC Playbook and how role is the best indicator about point scoring potential. Classic example here with McAndrew bowling the last over. 3 of his 4 wickets came in the last over of the match (which included a change in ball), leading to a huge 105 SC score.
• Yes, there was some drizzle and rain around at different times during the match, but again Kuhnemann was under bowled for mine, 1/8 off just the single over. Considering Swepson rolled an ankle or something similar in the warm up, it was surprising to see him get 3 overs and even Renshaw bowl an over before we saw Kuhnemann in the attack. In fact he was the seventh bowler used.
• Gilkes improvement continues for owners like myself leading to 62 SC points. His work with the gloves was very sharp with a great leg side diving catch and a stumping off Green.
• Only one over for Sandhu before he went off with injury. This meant we even got a sneaky Oliver Davies over!
• Hales did not repeat his recent heroics. Rilee Rossouw got 39 off 35. Ross with a cameo that might have been a tad lost in the scheme of things. 25 off 12.

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Scorchers v Stars

Result: Scorchers won by 6 wickets

Takes:

• Scorchers yet again were unchanged for this match. Two changes for the Stars. NCN and Stoinis returned for Seymour and Hatcher.
• Yet again, the Scorchers bowling attack demonstrated why they are the best in the competition. The Stars actually got off to a reasonable start before Perth just went about their business and turned the game quickly in their favour.
• Trent Boult and Hilton Cartwright tried their best to get the Stars to something defendable, but it never looked like a big enough total.
• Inglis fell just short of the magic 20 run mark. Handy for non-owners, finishing the game 19 not out at a subdued strike rate not so handy for owners, but it was still a very reasonable night at the office for Inglis finishing with 74 SC points.
• The round for Richos continued. 4/25 off 4 overs for Jhye and potentially could have been more, considering he bowled his last over predominantly to Trent Boult. Thanks captain Jhye!
• Another game to monitor, watch, analyse, discuss, debate, consider the SC conundrum of BBL of Stoinis vs Webster. Again, much like the previous match against the Stars, it seems like, when fit, Stoinis will be the fifth bowler for the Stars. 1/31 off his 3 overs and no bowling action for the Slug. It also didn’t help that Webster who has been batting well this tournament got a cracker of a delivery from Richardson first up. But as we know, this can happen as a batter in BBL, which is what Webster’s role seems to be with big Stoin back fit. He might be one to trade out next round potentially?

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• Stoinis is yet to hit his straps, and I have seen some people righly disappointed with his point scoring. He will click at some time in the tournament, especially if bowling and if he is set and some stage during a power surge! He wasn’t at his best at this game, but still scored 42. With some single game rounds coming up, where scoring can be volatile and low, a score like this could be handy to have!
• Hardie came in at number 3, mirroring what occurred during the trial matches for the Scorchers. He took his time early, got a couple away and looked set to go on with it, before chipping one out to the deep. He didn’t star, but wasn’t disgraced so it will be worth monitoring if he continues in this role moving forward. It was discussed on the coverage if this move was done to keep a left hand/right hand combination at the crease. Faf du Plessis has been dismissed early before and Hobson came in, so I am not sure if this is the reason why he came in.
• Turner is back. 53 off 26. He can produce some really great knocks in that middle order role for the Scorchers!
• Faf was again dismissed early. Lyth delivered clearly his best game so far with 35 off 30. They are leaving soon (not quite yet!) but seeing what happens with the Perth top order, especially considering there will be no Cameron Green could be very relevant for SC.
• Luke Wood is certainly on my radar for the Stars next double. BAT/BWL eligibility and after a slightly slow start is turning into someone who just finds wickets! 2/29. He also can bat, but we have not seen that quite yet!
• Zampa with 0/36 off his 4. Quality bowler yes, but I just wonder if the Stars are not up there in the finals race, just like last year, how this impacts or limits his SC scoring.

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Renegades vs Sixers

Result: Sixers won by 6 wickets

Takes:

• Sixers with some significant changes. Something to monitor going forward if they manage some of their players. Abbott and Murphy were replaced by Jordan and Naveed. Some very SC relevant stuff there with Abbott a VC option for many highly ranked coaches. SC chaos! No changes for the Renegades.
• The Sixers controlled the game from the very first over and never really looked in any danger.
• Another team bowling effort. Bird and Dwarshuis were economical up front.
• Kerr bowled well again 2/25 off his 4 overs, but did not get a bat in this game.
• Chris Jordan bowled some death in his first game of the season. 2/25.
• No overs for DC.

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• Marsh came in at number 3 in this match (Finch was 3 last game). Clearly, he was the Renegades best batter finishing with 35 off 29.
• A promotion up the order to number 6 for Will Sutherland. He also bowled 3 overs taking 1/8, including a maiden. Additionally, he was the Renegades second bowler used, as they went away from their spin option to start with. I can’t believe I am typing this but that could indicate a solid all-rounder role and SC relevance. Owners who bravely selected before the DGR would be very pleased with what they saw!
• An off night for Philippe, scoring just 2, but Vince and Patterson did the job for the Sixers at the top of the order.
• DC passing 20 runs, I think for the first time in the tournament.
• Richardson and Mujeeb couldn’t replicate their heroics from the previous game, both going wicketless.
• Akeal Hosein bounced back after a quiet game. 2/24 off his 4 overs to reward people who had him as a captain for the round.