The BBL13 season of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) kicks off on Thursday night, with the Brisbane Heat hosting the Melbourne Stars in Queensland.
Most experts have low expectations for these teams in BBL13, so it will be fascinating to see which outfit shows the most promise in Game 1.
We'll have a heap of BBL13 content for you this season including BBL tips for every match and regular fantasy BBL for contests on Draftstars to help you land the big cash in the $50,000 Big Bash Star 2024 Final!
Also don't forget to check out our BBL13 Season Preview and BBL13 Prop Bets articles for some extra sweats this summer!
Draftstars have put up a huge $25,000 contest for the Heat vs Stars season opener, as well as a Big Bash Star Qualifier.
And if you haven't already, make sure to check out our full Heat vs Stars preview and betting tips!
BBL13 Fantasy Tips: Brisbane Heat vs Melbourne Stars
Thursday, 7 Dec 7:15pm AEDT
Heat Squad: Xavier Bartlett, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth, Jack Wood, Sam Billings (England), Paul Walter (England), Colin Munro (New Zealand)
Stars Squad: Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau Webster (temporarily replaced by Jono Merlo), Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Usama Mir (Pakistan), Liam Dawson (England), Imad Wasim (Pakistan)
Brisbane finished as Runners-up in BBL12, sneaking their way into the Final before falling at the hands of the Perth Scorchers.
The Heat squad appears slightly weaker on paper this time around, so it will be an uphill battle for the Queensland-based side to qualify for the finals again in BBL13.
While Paul Walter brings versatility to the XI, the loss of both James Bazley and Mark Steketee leaves a significant void in the fast bowling stocks, which could be exposed should injuries arise.
The availability – or lack thereof – of test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne will also be a massive roadblock to Brisbane succeeding this campaign.
As such, pressure will be heaped on both the batting imports and local bowlers to raise their level if Brisbane are to reach the pointy end of the competition.
On the other hand, the Melbourne Stars will be hoping to climb back up the ladder after finishing dead last in BBL12.
Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the men in green last summer, and I’m tipping at least some level of improvement this time around.
Glenn Maxwell will be front and centre again after missing BBL12 with a broken leg, while busy recruiting has seen Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Sam Harper, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Mark Steketee and Imad Wasim all sign on.
The Stars could certainly be a handful with Maxwell, Stoinis and Rauf all in the same line-up, so the fitness of that trio will be key to a strong campaign.
Fantasy Plays
Love It – Paul Walter ($10,400)
Role is key here, with Walter set to shoulder plenty of responsibility in the BBL season opener. Brisbane will likely name just five genuine bowlers for this game, just about guaranteeing Walter his full allocation of overs, and the Englishman should also bat at seven, opening up multiple point scoring avenues. As such, he is excellent value at just over $10k.
Love It – Glenn Maxwell ($19,800)
The success of the Melbourne Stars in BBL13 will massively depend on the performances of captain Glenn Maxwell, who demonstrated his explosive all-round abilities in an extremely fruitful World Cup campaign. In that tournament Maxwell managed to score massive hundreds, take wickets with the ball, and have an impact in most games, so returning to the BBL should be child’s play for him. You’ll have to pay up on this slate, but there’s no premium I’d rather than Maxi.
Don’t Love It – Marnus Labuschagne ($17,100)
T20 is not Labuschagne’s preferred format, and his World Cup performances did nothing to suggest that he will dominate in the BBL13 opener. Marnus played an important anchoring role in several matches in India, but that does not translate to premium DFS scoring in T20 cricket, so I’ll be looking elsewhere at this price point.
Don’t Love It – Thomas Rogers ($13,300)
Rogers produced some serviceable performances last season, but his BBL average of 25 runs per game speaks volumes. With a high score of just 51, Rogers does not yet have the explosive ability to make him an attractive DFS asset, especially at a price that is hardly dirt cheap.
Who Knows – Marcus Stoinis ($17,900)
It’s been a little while since we’ve seen Stoinis’ best, with the burly all-rounder falling out of favour towards the end of the World Cup. I suspect that the axing will have lit a fire in Stoinis, which may fuel a massive BBL13 for the big hitter, but can he start with a bang on Thursday night? That’s yet to be seen.
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