Welcome to the week of the BBL07! Over the next seven days, we’ll be posting one article per day pertaining to the upcoming Big Bash League, starting out with a preview for all eight teams.
We’ll be counting from the bottom of last season’s BBL table, so today we take a look at the wooden spooners, the Sydney Thunder as well as the Hobart Hurricanes!
Sydney Thunder
Squad: Fawad Ahmed, Aiden Blizzard, Jos Buttler, Pat Cummins, Callum Ferguson, Andrew Fekete, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Mitchell McClenaghan, Clint Mckay, Arjun Nair, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Shane Watson
Last Year: The Thunder had a year to forget in 2016-17, finishing last on the ladder with just three wins from their eight games. No Thunder player scored more than 200 runs in BBL06, which highlighted their major flaw. They’ll look to improve this season after retaining the bulk of their core players.
Key Signings/Losses: The Thunder unfortunately lost the services of talented West Indian all-rounder Andre Russel this season, who faces a one-year ban for doping allegations. They did, however, add English batsmen wicket-keeper Jos Butler, who will provide hard hitting middle order potential and great glovework. Apart from that, their squad looks very similar to that of last season, with the addition of former Renegade Callum Ferguson.
Players to Watch: Usman Khawaja and Pat Cummins would have been the standout players to watch for the Thunder, but with commitments in the Australian Test squad, it’s unlikely we will see either of them suit up in the green and black until after new years, if at all. Fawad Ahmed has proven his ability to turn T20’s on their head with the ball and will likely be the Thunder’s best player going into the season.
BBL06 Championship Odds: $11 at Sportsbet
Prediction: We think that the Thunder could be in for another long season here. Apart from the additions of Butler and Ferguson, who scored just 183 runs for the Renegades last season, they haven’t done much to address their batting concerns. Watson/Ferguson will need to have monster seasons with the bat for the Thunder to climb out of the last few spots on the table. With their best two players on Test duty, we see them at the tail end of the ladder this season, finishing in 7th place.
TIP: Clint McKay top team wicket taker - $6 at CrownBet
Hobart Hurricanes
Squad: Jofra Archer, George Bailey, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Dan Christian, Hamish Kingston, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills, David Moody, Tim Paine, Sam Rainbird, Nathan Reardon, Jake Reed, Tom Rogers, Clive Rose, D’arcy Short, Matthew Wade
Last Year: Finishing 7th on the table, Hobart had an up and down year that included some good wins over the Strikers and Renegades, but ultimately saw them notch up just three wins for the season.
Key Signings/Losses: Hobart will lose the services of English paceman Stuart Broad, who had a big impact in the limited games he played last season. They’ll also wave goodbye to Kumar Sangakkara and Shaun Tait, who were stalwarts and some of the original marquee players for the Hurricanes. However, Matthew Wade will be a massive inclusion to the team and shouldn't be hindered by Australian selection. The addition of young West Indian all-rounder Jofra Archer should add some youth and excitement to the squad.
Players to Watch: Cameron Boyce, D'Arcy Short and George Bailey will need to carry the load with the bat, as after them the Hobart line-up looks quite thin. Dan Christian is capable of winning a game with bat or ball and will be crucial to the Hurricanes success this season.
BBL06 Championship Odds: $13 at Sportsbet
Prediction: The Hobart line-up looks pretty thin from top to bottom. They have struggled to add any real marquee international players and some of the load will fall onto young up and comers here. Tim Paine will likely miss the majority of the season through international duty, adding to their woes. Anything is possible in the BBL but on paper, we have the Hurricanes finishing in 8th place.
TIP: D'Arcy Short top team run scorer - $4.50 at CrownBet
Always Gamble Responsibly and stay tuned to our big bash betting tips page for tips for every match of the BBL07 season.
