With the Big Bash League now only a week away, there’s plenty of speculation around the BBL squads and who will actually play in Round 1 of the BBL09 fixture. It’s important to consider who might actually be in the starting lineup for your SuperCoach leagues, fantasy lineups and also for futures betting.
Here’s our take on the likely BBL09 team starting lineups for Round 1 of the season.
Possible BBL09 Team Starting Lineups
Adelaide Strikers
1. Weatherald
2. Carey
3. Salt
4. White
5. Nielsen
6. Short
7. Neser
8. Khan
9. Siddle
10. Conway
11. Agar
With Travis Head tied up with the Test squad, it’s a battle for the middle order spots in the Strikers. We’re going to lean towards the experience of Cameron White, figuring that the Strikers didn’t recruit him to sit on the pine. Harry Nielsen is in form, so he gets the nod ahead of Jono Wells and Jake Lehmann. Billy Stanlake and Harry Conway seem set to battle for the last bowling spot.
Brisbane Heat
1. Bryant
2. Banton
3. Lynn
4. Renshaw
5. Peirson
6. Cutting
7. Pattinson
8. Lalor
9. Khan
10. Steketee
11. Laughlin
Hard to see this being far wrong from the Heat’s Round 1 team. Joe Burns and Marnus Labuschangne are in the Test side and AB De Villiers doesn’t arrive until later in the series. Perhaps Mitch Swepson could play ahead of Mark Steketee or Ben Laughlin if the Hear want a second spinner.
Hobart Hurricanes
1. Short
2. McDermott
3. Jewell
4. Miller
5. Bailey
6. Milenko
7. Faulkner
8. Ellis
9. Boland
10. Meredith
11. Ahmad
The Hurricanes also seem pretty set in stone. You would think that Ben McDermott would take the gloves ahead of Jake Doran, allowing Simon Milenko to play at number six. Clive Rose will come in as a second spin option on slower pitches.
Melbourne Renegades
1. S Marsh
2. Finch
3. Harris
4. Harper
5. Cooper
6. Christian
7. Gleeson
8. Wildermuth
9. Boyce
10. Gurney
11. Richardson
Not the easiest team to predict with several bowling all-rounders who could fill the middle order. Will Sutherland is the obvious one who we’ve left out who could easily come into the team. Some pressure might be on Marcus Harris to perform to stay in the team.
Melbourne Stars
1. Dunk
2. Stoinis
3. Maxwell
4. Handscomb
5. Maddinson
6. Cartwright
7. Coulter-Nile
8. Coleman
9. Zampa
10. Lamichhane
11. Steyn
The Stars could go a couple of different ways. You’d think Marcus Stoinis would get first option to open the order, but it’s possible that Nic Maddinson gets a promotion and Stoinuis drops back to number five. Our team also leaves Handscomb or Dunk to take the gloves which provides the Stars with the ability to pick and additional bowler with NCN perfectly suited to number seven.
Perth Scorchers
1. Bancroft
2. Livingstone
3. M Marsh
4. Turner
5. Green
6. Inglis
7. Agar
8. Jordan
9. Richardson
10. Kelly
11. Ahmed
The Scorchers may allow Cameron Bancroft to open but he hasn’t been in great form, so another option may be a promotion up the order for Josh Inglis. With Dorf and Tye both injured, will be interesting to see their bowling lineup.
Sydney Sixers
1. Phillipe
2. Hughes
3. Vince
4. Henriques
5. Silk
6. J Edwards
7. Curran
8. O'Keefe
9. Dwarshuis
10. Abbott
11. M Edwards
The Sixers look pretty settled, but the last bowling spot may go a number of different ways. We’ve leant to Mickey Edwards but Lloyd Pope may be a chance on a slow wicket.
Sydney Thunder
1 Hales
2. Khawaja
3. Ferguson
4. Gilkes
5. Ross
6. Morris
7. Sams
8. Green
9. Sandhu
10. Tremain
11. Doggett
The Thunder lineup isn’t obvious, with a number of fringe players a chance to get a start. I expect Matt Gilkes to get the gloves and a good opportunity in the top four ahead of Jay Lenton as we covered in our top five young guns to watch in BBL09. We’ve leant to the experience of Alex Ross at five but the Thunder may prefer to go with youth with Jason Sangha. Their bowling also looks fragile and could go a couple of ways with Arjun Nair a possibility.
