Squad Breakdown: Hurricanes player-by-player analysis

• SQUAD BREAKDOWN: Brisbane Heat player-by-player analysis
• TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: BBL09 champion Thommo Aitken reveals his side

The Hobart Hurricanes will be out to break their Big Bash League duck in 2021/22, remaining winless in the tournament thus far.

They’ve twice been runners-up in the competition, and also claimed a maiden first place regular season finish two season’s back, but failed to progress to the final.

With double game weeks in Round 6 and Round 10, with a bye in between in Round 8, they’ll be hot property at the business end of the season, however they boast a couple of genuine guns that’ll be hard to pass up in the early stages of the tournament.

Newest SC Playbook contributor and cricket whiz Max Bryden has done the hard yards to predict the starting XI of each team, I’ll be running my analysis off these forecasts.

Note that the starting XI’s will alter throughout the season as new signings land, form alters and injuries strike, we’ll do our best to update as the news drops.

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MATT WADE (WKP/BAT) // $145,800 // BBL10 SC Ave: 46.7

Matty Wade will hopefully play the full-season of the Big Bash which is outstanding news for SuperCoaches.

He’s a genuine gun of domestic cricket, particularly in the shortest format of the game.

We can largely disregard last season where he played just three games, notching two flops and a monster 121 SC points.

Take a look at the two season’s prior to see what he’s capable of.

In 2019/20 he played nine games, averaging 63.2 SC points, including scores of 204 and 224!

The season prior across 15 games he averaged 65.1 SC points with four tonnes, including two scores of 170+.

Obviously that means there’s some low efforts in between, but he clearly has that monster ceiling we seek in SuperCoach, especially with PODs.

His recent cricket has all been for Australia in T20s where he hasn’t regularly been needed with the blade.

His past seven scores produced returns of: 18, 15*, 4*, 0, 22, 2 and 1.

He’ll likely wicket-keep, but with Handscomb and McDermott the Hurricanes are flush with options. It’d be handy for his scoring, but not essential for SC selection.

The drop in grade and return to the top of the order will do him wonders, and likely at low-ownership he’s a serious option to begin the campaign.

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D’ARCY SHORT (BAT/BWL) // $179,600 // BBL10 SC Ave: 57.5

The big question surrounding D’Arcy Short will again be how often he’s expected to bowl for the Hurricanes.

We know what he’s capable of with the bat, despite having a relatively underwhelming campaign in 2020/21, scoring 345 runs at an average of 24.62 with a strike-rate of just 120.20! Very low for his standards…

However he was regularly, yet inconsistently, called upon with the ball. He bowled 32 overs across the tournament, taking eight wickets at an economy of 7.93.

Sandeep Lamichhane only played eight games last tournament, so a full campaign from him will likely impact Short.

However I think the bigger influence will be the final international signing. There’s every chance they sign an all-rounder, and for Short’s sake we’ll have to hope it’s not a spinning all-rounder.

On the basis that he’ll bowl regularly again he’s an absolute weapon and his SuperCoach scoring is so much more secure, with risk of low scores largely alleviated.

But there’s plenty to play out before the first ball of the season is bowled.

His past season SC averages were: 85.7, 91.3 and 52.1.

On that, he’s under-priced to begin the season, and with no early doubles he’ll be avoided by plenty, making him a superb option to begin the year, and if bowling regularly he’ll be near impossible to ignore.

A few big early scores and he could be out of price reach in no time at all.

In two Marsh Cup knocks for WA this season he scored 35* and 5.

He struggled at the end of a recent stint in the English Vitality Blast and the Hundred competition, producing returns of: 9, 6, 4*, 5 and 0.

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BEN MCDERMOTT (WKP/BAT) // $163,200 // BBL10 SC Ave: 52.3

Due to no early double, McDermott is one who will almost certainly be at low-ownership to begin the season, but the man can bat and produce serious SuperCoach scores.

Last season he scored 402 runs at an average of 36.54 with a strike-rate of 139.58.

He had three SC tonnes, including efforts of 151 and 141.

He produced SC averages of 41 and 31 the two season’s prior, but he really came into his own last tournament and at times looked a class above some quality opposition.

The form saw him selected for Australia’s T20 series against West Indies and Bangladesh.

Often opening the batting or in the top four, he had returns of: 17, 5, 35, 0, 28 and 7.

More recently in the Marsh Cup he had scores of 17 and 57.

I’ll likely avoid him at the awkward price, but I’m not against anyone eyeing him as an early season POD.

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HARRY BROOK (BAT) // $125,000 // BBL10 SC Ave: N/A

Pommie recruit Brook makes his BBL debut this season, however he’s likely to miss the opening rounds due to selection in the England Lions squad to face Australia ‘A’.

It’s good news for SuperCoach in many ways because we’ll get an early look at how the youngster handles Australian conditions which has brought many rookie UK imports undone.

His T20 form across 43 matches reads very well, averaging 39.70 with a strike-rate of 148.31.

If he could emulate anything like that in the BBL he’ll earn some serious price rises.

He is capable of rolling the arm over having bowled a bit in first-class cricket, but in the T20 arena he’s delivered just two overs, so don’t expect anything in that department.

He has a recent first class tonne, while his short-form cricket returns of late have produced scores of: 1, 14, 28, 47*, 38 and 62.

It all reads well and based on the numbers he’s well-priced in SC, however stats don’t tell the full story.

Let’s see how he goes for the Lions then reassess for his Canes’ debut.

UPDATE: Brook has been selected for the England Lions and likely won’t be available until Round 4. Expect Caleb Jewell to take his spot at number four.

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PETER HANDSCOMB (WKP/BAT) // $81,200 // BBL10 SC Ave: 26

Handscomb has offered next to nothing in the BBL in recent years, and despite the enticing price tag he’s not one for my side.

There’s a chance he bats at three early on in Brook’s absence, but even then I find him hard to have at $81k.

He scored just 208 runs last season at an average of 18.90 with a strike-rate of 125.30.

In 2019/20 he averaged 34.1 SC points and the season prior 41.6.

He scored a recent tonne for Victoria in Shield cricket, and before that had a stint for Middlesex in English County Cricket.

In the 50 over format he had six recent knocks, top scoring with 75 and failing to pass 20 runs in his six other innings.

It’s not to say he can’t rebound this season and score well, I’m just not convinced and have been burned in the past.

TIM DAVID (BAT) // $113,800 // BBL10 SC Ave: 36.4

David was a revelation for the Canes’ last season, coming in as a middle order batsmen and rescuing the innings more often than not.

He finished the season with 279 runs at an average of 31.00 with a strike-rate of 153.29!

He’ll likely bat around five again which effectively rules him out of any SuperCoach contention, but if he can find himself further up the order he’d warrant a look.

He’s been playing T20 cricket across the world since last BBL, so the experience should do wonders for him coming into the new campaign.

Playing in the Caribbean Premier League, he had returns of: 1, 10, 38*, 13, 34, 8, 47*, 18* and 15.

He predominately batted at six, with the occasional innings at five.

Incredibly he even earned an IPL contract with RCB, but failed in his only game.

JORDAN THOMPSON (BAT/BWL) // Price: $125,000 // BBL10 SC Ave: –

Thompson arrives as the Canes’ final international signing.

The bowling allrounder will likely be a straight swap in for Mitch Owen.

The 25-year-old has 41 career T20 caps to his name, taking 34 wickets at a huge economy rate of 9.26.

He’s capable with the willow, averaging 20.59 with a blistering strike-rate of 167.15.

A big watch on his role in the opening round…

JOEL PARIS (BWL) // $62,500 // BBL10 SC Ave: 1.0

There’s not a lot to report on with Paris as his opportunity has been limited in recent years.

The former Scorcher played just the one game last season, while he averaged 25.0 SC points across five games the season prior.

Assuming he bats at seven he’ll struggle to accumulate decent SC scoring with question marks around his overs also.

His white ball cricket has been very limited lately, with most of his cricket coming in the Shield for WA where he’s been solid with bat and ball.

Not for me unless his role changes.

UPDATE: Joel Paris ‘Sustained a moderate-grade left groin strain that is expected to keep him out for 3 weeks.’ This will put him in doubt for the opening stage of the tournament, so monitor for further news.

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SANDEEP LAMICHHANE (BWL) // $103,500 // BBL10 SC Ave: 33.1

While I can’t see myself starting with him, Lamichhane is someone that intrigues me and I can see myself recruiting him at some point in the season.

He played eight games last season for an average of 33.1 SC points. He took eight wickets at an economy of 7.54.

Head back to the two season’s prior where he came onto the BBL scene, producing averages of 48.3 and 61.4.

He’s a progressive leggie that is still very much crafting his skill, so I see upside in him.

Off the back of a poor SC average last season he’s very cheap.

His most recent cricket has been at international level for Nepal and domestically in Nepal where he’s taken plenty of wickets and chipped in a few runs, but the opposition isn’t a reliable gauge of form.

That being said, we’ve already seen what he’s capable of, so hopefully he can take his game to the next level in BBL11.

RILEY MEREDITH (BWL) // $134,100 // BBL10 SC Ave: 42.9

It was a decent season for Meredith in 2020/21, in 13 games he took 16 wickets at an economy of 7.82.

He’s another in the awkward $120k-$160k price bracket that is hard to have unless on the double or a genuine allrounder.

He was very erratic in SC scoring last season, notching three scores over 90, along with five scores under 25.

Look back a season earlier though where he averaged 64.5 SC points across six games.

He featured for Australia in two T20 mid-year games against the West Indies, taking 1/57 and 3/48.

He also earned an IPL contract where he played prior to the postponement, producing respectable figures of 1/35, 1/29 and 1/35.

There’s potential there, but I feel there’s better upside buys with less risk of going low.

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NATHAN ELLIS (BWL) // $157,100 // BBL10 SC Ave: 50.3

Ellis had a terrific BBL10 campaign, taking 20 wickets in 14 games with a strike-rate of 8.31 for a SC average of 42.9

He was very consistent, with 12 of 14 scores over 30, along with two single digit outings.

He played 15 games the season prior for a SC average of 39.5.

His game progressed at a rapid rate last season, earning him a spot in the Australian side for the T20 series with Bangladesh.

He produced figures of 2/16 and 3/34, before going on to play three IPL games for Punjab.

There he had returns of 0/46, 1/12 (three overs) and 0/32.

I’ll eye him off later in the season, but at $157k I can’t justify picking him up ahead of all-rounders such as Short and Sams for not too much more.

OTHER

SCOTT BOLAND (BWL) // $144,100 // BBL10 SC Ave: 46.1

In 14 games last season Boland took 17 wickets at an economy of 7.95 for a respectable SC average of 46.1.

Go back to BBL09 to gain interest, he played 10 games for an excellent average of 59.9 SC points.

His top level cricket has been extremely limited since early in the year, however he did have two Shield hauls of six and eight wickets against NSW recently.

I’m struggling to split the Hurricanes pace contingent, but none overly interest me for the opening rounds.

I’ll be watching all three quicks very closely in the early stages of the tournament.

UPDATE: Boland has been selected to play for Australia ‘A’ and likely won’t be available until Round 4.

MITCH OWEN (BAT/BWL) // $62,500 // BBL10 SC Ave: 6.0

Owen’s potentiall spot will likely be thwarted by the announcement of English allrounder Jordan Thompson as the final international.

However he’s a chance at coming into the line-up at some stage, especially with Boland being selected for Australia ‘A’.

The 20-year-old has one hit out for Tassie in the Marsh Cup this season where he scored 2.

In his one game last season for the Canes where he actually played a roll he batted at seven, scoring 11*, and had figures of 0/18 off 1.

One to monitor throughout the season if given a crack.

MAC WRIGHT (BAT) // $112,100