Predicted teams: How departures, Aussie returns will impact BBL XIs

Projected lineups from Round 9/10

The underwhelming Test match schedule is ending, the overseas T20 Leagues are starting and change is afoot for our BBL clubs. 

We’ll lose some new favorites (looking at you, Hosein) and some battlers (Adam Lyth, you poor soul), most importantly we get some star power back from our National team. 

Beyond the replacement players, change could also mean different roles for some of our existing BBL players, so let’s take a look at the club-by-club impacts.

Logistically, most of the changes occur after round 8 (right now), but for avoidance of doubt stay tuned to the social channels of SC Playbook as well as the clubs to make sure you’re all over the specifics.

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Adelaide Strikers

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Matt Short	Matt Short
2	Henry Hunt	Henry Hunt/Jake Weatherald
3	Chris Lynn	Travis Head
4	Adam Hose	Alex Carey
5	Colin de Grandhomme	Adam Hose
6	Thomas Kelly	Colin de Grandhomme
7	Harry Neilsen	Thomas Kelly
8	Rashid Khan	Ben Manenti/Cameron Boyce
9	Henry Thornton	Henry Thornton
10	Wes Agar	Wes Agar
11	Peter Siddle	Peter Siddle/Conway

INS: Travis Head, Alex Carey, Ben Manenti/Cameron Boyce

OUTS: Chris Lynn, Rashid Khan

Summary: The Strikers were in a downward patch prior to a record run-chase against the Hurricanes, and they’ll shortly get back two genuine superstars and will boast arguably the most well-rounded team in the competition. 

They should be one of the favourites from here and will look to mount a similar late season charge as last season. 

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If available for round 9 (likely to depend on when the Sydney Test ends), Head and Carey loom as serious PODs for their DGW. 

Whoever is named between Manenti and Boyce definitely will be too, but with three capable bowlers (Short, CdG, Head) in the top 6, be wary of investing in bowlers who might not get their four overs. CdG and Hose moving down the order weakens them as prospects.

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Brisbane Heat

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Josh Brown	Josh Brown
2	Colin Munro	Usman Khawaja
3	Nathan McSweeney	Marnus Labuschagne
4	Sam Billings	Sam Hain
5	Jimmy Pierson	Jimmy Pierson
6	Ross Whitely	Ross Whitely
7	James Bazely	James Bazely
8	Michael Neser	Michael Neser
9	Mark Steketee	Mark Steketee
10	Matt Khunemann	Matt Khunemann
11	Mitch Swepson	Mitch Swepson

INs: Usman Khawaja, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Hain

OUTs: Colin Munro, Sam Billings

Summary: Maybe the biggest beneficiaries. Usman and Marnus are match-winners, and Sam Hain is classy. 

The batting order could change, with Hain and Marnus both capable of batting anywhere in the top order. 

Brown could easily be left out in favour of McSweeney, Renshaw or even Max Bryant, depending on how they want to line-up. 

There’s also a world where they drop Swepson and play Marnus as the second spinner so they can carry an extra batter. 

Marnus should be in a lot of teams and is very playable in single-game weeks.

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Hobart Hurricanes

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Caleb Jewell	Caleb Jewell
2	Ben McDermott	Ben McDermott
3	Matt Wade	Matt Wade
4	D’Arcy Short	Zak Crawley
5	Tim David	D’Arcy Short
6	Asif Ali	Tim David
7	Mitch Owen	Mitch Owen
8	Faheem Ashraf	Faheem Ashraf
9	Nathan Ellis	Nathan Ellis
10	Riley Meredith	Riley Meredith
11	Paddy Dooley	Paddy Dooley

INs: Faheem Ashraf, Zak Crawley

OUTs: Shadab Khan, Jimmy Neesham

Summary: Tough to predict exactly how the ‘Canes will line-up, but Shadab leaving at the end of Round 7 at least showed us how the club will use Ashraf. 

One of either Caleb Jewel, Mitch Owen or Asif Ali will likely miss selection to allow the club to play the extra bat in Englishman Zak Crawley. 

Dropping Owen would be good for the bowling stocks of D’Arcy Short, albeit he is now being used as a middle-order bat.

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Melbourne Renegades

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Martin Guptill	Martin Guptill
2	Sam Harper	Sam Harper
3	Shaun Marsh	Shaun Marsh
4	Aaron Finch	Aaron Finch
5	Jono Wells	Jono Wells
6	Mack Harvey	Mack Harvey/Pete Handscomb
7	Will Sutherland	Will Sutherland
8	Akeil Hosein	Ruwantha Kellapotha
9	Tom Rogers	Tom Rogers
10	Mujeeb	David Moody/Cory Rocchiolli
11	Kane Richardson	Kane Richardson

INs: Ruwantha Kellapotha, Cory Rocchiolli, David Moody

OUTs: Mujeeb, Akeil Hosein

Summary: The Renegades lose their two best bowlers, and two crucial skills. Kellapotha is a decent leg-spinner who, at $42k, is worth a look for sure. 

Similarly, Rocchiolli and quick David Moody are both very cheap and should have good job security. 

The teams play on some good grounds for the remainder of the season, so you could do worse than to take a play at one of their sticks as a POD move.

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Melbourne Stars

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Tom Rogers	Tom Rogers
2	Joe Clarke	Joe Clarke
3	Beau Webster	Beau Webster
4	Marcus Stoinis	Marcus Stoinis
5	Hilton Cartwright	Hilton Cartwright
6	Nick Larkin	Nick Larkin
7	Campbell Kellaway	Campbell Kellaway
8	Nathan Coulter-Nile	Nathan Coulter-Nile
9	Luke Wood	Luke Wood
10	Trent Boult	Liam Hatcher
11	Adam Zampa	Adam Zampa

INs: Liam Hatcher
OUTs: Trent Boult

Summary: Stuck on the bottom of the ladder, it doesn’t get easier for the Stars who will lose their best bowler in Trent Boult. 

There’s been chatter of an international replacement but with no announcement, it could be locals who replace the Kiwi legend. Not much interest here for me outside of Webster and Wood who are scoring consistently well.

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Perth Scorchers

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Adam Lyth	Steve Eskinazi
2	Faf du Plessis	Cameron Bancroft
3	Cameron Bancroft	Aaron Hardie
4	Josh Inglis	Josh Inglis
5	Ashton Turner	Ashton Turner
6	Nick Hobson	Nick Hobson
7	Jhye Richardson	Ashton Agar
8	Matt Kelly	Jhye Richardson
9	Andrew Tye	Andrew Tye
10	Peter Hatzoglou	Peter Hatzoglou
11	Jason Behrendorff	Jason Behrendorff

INs: Steve Eskinazi, Aaron Hardie, Ashton Agar, Lance Morris, David Payne

OUTs: Faf du Plessis, Adam Lyth

Summary: This line-up is best XI and is dependent on injury updates on Jhye Richardson and Aaron Hardie, and regardless I’d expect bowling restings to occur given the depth of talent on the sideline (Matt Kelly, Lance Morris, David Payne). 

Steve Eskinazi will need to buck the trend of underwhelming debuts from English bats. 

Aaron Hardie and Nick Hobson appear to be fighting out for the number 3 spot – the smokey in this race is also Ashton Turner who filled the role last season with aplomb. 

Agar will also bring balance to the attack. They play game 3 of the DGW so be prepared to update your trades if your targets aren’t available.

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Sydney Sixers

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Josh Philippe	Josh Philippe
2	James Vince	Kurtis Patterson
3	Daniel Hughes	Steve Smith
4	Moises Henriques	Moises Henriques
5	Jordan Silk	Jordan Silk
6	Dan Christian	Dan Christian
7	Hayden Kerr	Hayden Kerr
8	Sean Abbott	Sean Abbott
9	Ben Dwarshuis	Ben Dwarshuis
10	Chris Jordan	Jackson Bird/Nathan Lyon
11	Steve O’Keefe	Steve O’Keefe

INs: Steve Smith, Kurtis Patterson, Jackson Bird

OUTs: James Vince, Chris Jordan, Daniel Hughes

Summary: Steve Smith is a huge in and looks in great touch. The team balance won’t change much with Jackson Bird or one of Nathan Lyon/Todd Murphy/Naveed to take the final bowlers spot. Kurtis Patterson should return to the line-up for team balance as the better opener than Hughes.

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Sydney Thunder

	Current Lineup	R9* Lineup
1	Alex Hales	David Warner
2	Matt Gilkes	Matt Gilkes
3	Rillee Roussow	Sam Whiteman
4	Ollie Davies	Ollie Davies
5	Alex Ross	Alex Ross
6	Ben Cutting	Dan Sams
7	Joel Davies	Joel Davies
8	Nathan McAndrew	Nathan McAndrew
9	Chris Green	Chris Green
10	Brendan Doggett	Brendan Doggett
11	Usman Qadir	Usman Qadir

INs: David Warner, Dan Sams, Sam Whiteman

OUTs: Alex Hales, Rillee Roussow, Ben Cutting

Summary: After impressing on debut, Joel Davies could be set for an extended stint in the side, albeit with six bowling options he is not guaranteed his overs. 

Warner is an awesome replacement for Hales and is a seriously classy T20 cricketer – the all-time leading non-Indian run-scorer in the IPL – and should be way too good for this level of competition. 

An underrated team who should finish in the top 3 of the ladder (again). The Thunder are a great team to have a batting reserve from, with Ollie Davies my pick.

Understanding the machinations of change coming could help you get ahead of the pack. The hefty price tags on the Aussie stars in particular will keep most away, while selling early on someone with a decreasing role could also be astute. Good luck, coaches!

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